Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Dolphins Pull Out a Miraculous Victory
There are games that define teams and players, games that erase all the critics, games with such a warm afterglow; they leave you reaching for a cigarette. The Miami Dolphin win over the Patriots was one of those games.
The idea of using Rob Gonkowski as the deep safety seems so Belichickian, until the Gronk actually has to become a defender and make an open field tackle. Kenyan Drake was feeling lonely watching Frank Gore run through the New England defense. When Drake got the ball on the final play, nothing would stop him from outrunning the Gronk all the way to victory.
For Dolphin fans, the moment will live forever in the lore of a team desperately needing spark. The Dolphins stood up to the AFC East bullies, duking it out toe to toe, but seemed destined for the knockout blow with 7 seconds left, down by five points.
Somehow the magic happened, a pass to Kenny Stills, a lateral to Devante Parker, another lateral to Kenyan Drake and the field of dreams opened up. The Miami Dolphins won the game.
New England fans will call it luck, high school shenanigans and of course, there was a certain amount of luck involved. This one play is the perfect example of how a football team learns how to win. How a football team learns that luck only matters if the team is in a position to win.
With a minute left in the first half, New England blocked a punt and had a very short field to score. The Dolphins did not allow a single point, in fact, they forced Brady to make an uncharacteristic mistake, he was sacked with no timeouts and the half ended.
What does this have to do with luck? Every person and every team has the same amount of luck, what matters is, if you're in a position to benefit from that luck. If Miami had been 8 points behind at the end of the game, the last play would have been a lot different.
By fighting for every inch at the end of the first half, Miami was able to stay alive and within in a touchdown at the end of the game. By making that goal line stand, the Dolphin's final lucky play turned into victory.
This is the difference between winning and losing. It is the reason Miami can be outgained, lose in time of possession and turnovers, yet still win. Luck does not matter if you are not in a position to win. Adam Gase knows this, he teaches it and his players do not quit until the final whistle blows.
Ryan Tannehill had perhaps his finest game as a Miami Dolphin. The local press and indeed this site have been insistent that Tannehill is nothing more than an average quarterback. If any player on the Dolphins was an example of staying in the game until the final whistle, it was Ryan Tannehill.
JaWaun James stomped his 300 pounds firmly on Tannehill's right ankle and it looked like Tannehill was done. No one would have said a word if Tannehill did not return to that field, but he taped the ankle and hobbled back out there to lead his team. A team one last desperate breath from playoff elimination. In the end, Tannehill and his team deservedly sucked in the sweet aroma of victory.
Kenny Stills, made some ugly mistakes. He slid to the ground in the fourth quarter with his team leading and needing a first down. Had he simply dove over the line, Miami may have won the game without those final heroics. He dropped another first down throw that caused the final punt.
Stills didn't quit, he stepped into the open zone, caught that final pass and flipped it to Parker, who flipped it to Drake, who found the endzone. Stills knew it was a desperate play, but he also knew it was possible because Miami had left themselves in a position for luck to do its magic.
Maybe all Dolphin fans need to learn the lesson of luck. When you give up and put a lucky break out of reach from helping, you lose. The luck was there, the same luck everyone has, but luck doesn't matter if you can't use it.
Tannehill may never be a great quarterback, Stills may never be a great receiver and Adam Gase may never be a great coach, but they will win. The will win because they do not give up.
The Miami Dolphins probably need a better QB, could use some linebackers and secondary...
But in the end, if they believe they can win and keep victory in their grasp...
These Miami Dolphins will find a way...
Time for Miami Dolphin Soul Searching
Obviously, the Miami Dolphins did not show up against the New England Patriots. Addressing this problem by declaring Ryan Tannehill sucks on every social media forum has no value. This team has talented players and the coaching staff is very good. There is no denying, one Patriot player is better than any on the Dolphins roster, the QB.
Not recognizing the QB as the key, is simply stubborn ignorance. At this point, it makes little difference, it cannot change this season. Tannehill can be good when everything goes right; he is not good when obstacles present themselves. These obstacles are not as apparent as most would think. Tempo dictates NFL football, when things go good, they tend to go very good and when things go bad, they tend to go very bad.
The Miami Dolphins knew beyond any doubt, the officiating of this game would be lopsided. It is particularly important at the beginning of the game when the tempo and nuances are set in motion. Here are some examples of how the officiating can dictate early critical drives.
On the initial drive, the Miami offense is moving then, offensive holding on Kilgore at 50 effectively stuffs the drive, forcing a punt. Miami is off the field without establishing momentum.
NE gets the ball and the Miami defense is playing well. A Brady incompletion should stop the drive, but a highly questionable defensive holding by Howard gives NE an automatic first down. Brady remains on the field and is able to establish his rhythm.
The defense still managed to hold NE to a field goal, but the tempo was dictated by two calls. By the end of the game, those calls get fluffed off as whinny Miami fans complaining about officials.
We're missing the point...
Adam Gase and his staff have to understand what they are playing against. In New England against Coach Batman and Wonder Boy, the refs are going to call the game slanted.
There is only one way to combat slanted officials at the beginning of games. Miami needs to quit starting every game with tippy-toe trap runs and dinky bubble screens and go for the dagger, early and often. The officials can call holding on any trap play or bubble screen, there is bound to be some ticky tack holding if they choose to call it.
On the flip side, the NFL loves big plays! Whatever makes it to ESPN and brings fans to the game, that's what they want. Whether anyone chooses to believe it or not, those flags are a little more reluctant on home runs than they are on bubble screens.
There's another reason to come out boldly, they are going to call these penalties anyway why not while making a chunk play? If the flag stays in the pocket, bingo! There's the tempo! Even if it doesn't work the defense will be on its heels.
They will be backing out of the box instead of running into it, again, the tempo is set.
The Dolphins played right into the Patriot's game plan. The officials are going to dictate the game, but when they call back huge plays, everyone notices. When they're stopping the bubble screen offense, no one cares.
Enough said...
The Miami Dolphins must address a very simple question...
Are they capable of winning the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?
Take some time… Saver the question, let it resonate because that's why you play the game, to win the Super Bowl...
Are the Dolphins capable of winning the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?
Before the New England game, big plays masked Miami's greatest offensive problem in recent years, 3rd down conversions. Miami is currently ranked 27th in the league. In 2017 Miami was dead last, 2016 - 21st, 2015 - 30th... Playoff teams rank at the top of this list, not at the bottom. There are two main reasons why a team ranks poorly.
Number one is penalties that leave the team in untenable down and distance.
Number two is poor QB play under pressure.
Against New England on the biggest stage, Ryan Tannehill did not show up?
Sure, Adam Gase has some answering to do because he's the coach, but he's not the guy out there on the field. Tannehill is not the leader Gase has been spouting about for three weeks while his team pulled out games against marginal opponents.
Miami came back against the Raiders by Tannehill throwing two 1-yard passes...
The QB stats were a complete folly and the guy up in New England knew his team was not going to get beat by 1-yard passes.
Miami spent 2nd and 4th round picks at TE. Are those players still on the team? Are they just bad picks? It seems that if the Dolphins don’t score on a big play, they can barely move the ball. Of the 10 drives with Tannehill on the field, seven ended in punts, two in turnovers and the other ran out the first half.
None of those 10 drives lasted more than five plays...
For some levity so we understand I'm not only picking on Tannehill, the Dolphins defense gave up scoring drives of 74, 67, 22, 85, 59 and 90 yards. The Patriots converted 10 of 15 third downs. They out-gained the Dolphins 449-172. They controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes and ran 75 plays.
“I didn’t see this coming,” a dejected Adam Gase said afterward.
Painfully I must admit, I did see this coming. I saw it coming because I answered the question above actually a few years ago, but the knee injuries pushed the reality further into the future, which is now.
I like Ryan Tannehill. He is a fine man and a very talented quarterback. He simply doesn't carry his team when the stakes depend on him being that guy.
Adam Gase believes if the system is run well enough, Tannehill does not need to be that guy. He could be right, if he had Ray Lewis or Derrick Brooks, Jon Lynch and Warren Sapp, but he doesn't.
Let's be clear, the season is not over, in fact Miami can get a lot better if they learn from this game. So what are the lessons?
Ryan Tannehill is never going to be a great quarterback. This means the team around him must execute with perfect precision if the Miami Dolphins hope to be a contending team...
Miami must understand, the officials are an opponent every week, particularly early in the game. They cannot allow the officials to dictate the early tempo. They must force flags on huge highlight plays because if the flags are going to fly away, Miami may as well be taking shots down the field.
The dinky bubble screens and trap runs have been exposed. Miami must invent a different game plan each week that is not so easily predictable. It's the NFL, no matter how well a team executes, if the other team knows the plays, they will win.
Please stop saying Cameron Wake is a special player... Lost in all the Tannehill talk is the other disappearing Miami star, Wake. He plays against the right tackle, he's had Suh and now Quinn to take away double teams, and he still doesn't get it done.
Like Tannehill, Wake does not show up in big games and he was absent again against New England. If these are the leaders of the Miami Dolphins, well maybe they should follow Suh, Landry and Pouncey out the door because on the biggest stage, they disappeared...
Someone once said, "Ryan Tannehill is just good enough to get you fired..."
Are you listening Adam Gase?
Not recognizing the QB as the key, is simply stubborn ignorance. At this point, it makes little difference, it cannot change this season. Tannehill can be good when everything goes right; he is not good when obstacles present themselves. These obstacles are not as apparent as most would think. Tempo dictates NFL football, when things go good, they tend to go very good and when things go bad, they tend to go very bad.
The Miami Dolphins knew beyond any doubt, the officiating of this game would be lopsided. It is particularly important at the beginning of the game when the tempo and nuances are set in motion. Here are some examples of how the officiating can dictate early critical drives.
On the initial drive, the Miami offense is moving then, offensive holding on Kilgore at 50 effectively stuffs the drive, forcing a punt. Miami is off the field without establishing momentum.
NE gets the ball and the Miami defense is playing well. A Brady incompletion should stop the drive, but a highly questionable defensive holding by Howard gives NE an automatic first down. Brady remains on the field and is able to establish his rhythm.
The defense still managed to hold NE to a field goal, but the tempo was dictated by two calls. By the end of the game, those calls get fluffed off as whinny Miami fans complaining about officials.
We're missing the point...
Adam Gase and his staff have to understand what they are playing against. In New England against Coach Batman and Wonder Boy, the refs are going to call the game slanted.
There is only one way to combat slanted officials at the beginning of games. Miami needs to quit starting every game with tippy-toe trap runs and dinky bubble screens and go for the dagger, early and often. The officials can call holding on any trap play or bubble screen, there is bound to be some ticky tack holding if they choose to call it.
On the flip side, the NFL loves big plays! Whatever makes it to ESPN and brings fans to the game, that's what they want. Whether anyone chooses to believe it or not, those flags are a little more reluctant on home runs than they are on bubble screens.
There's another reason to come out boldly, they are going to call these penalties anyway why not while making a chunk play? If the flag stays in the pocket, bingo! There's the tempo! Even if it doesn't work the defense will be on its heels.
They will be backing out of the box instead of running into it, again, the tempo is set.
The Dolphins played right into the Patriot's game plan. The officials are going to dictate the game, but when they call back huge plays, everyone notices. When they're stopping the bubble screen offense, no one cares.
Enough said...
The Miami Dolphins must address a very simple question...
Are they capable of winning the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?
Take some time… Saver the question, let it resonate because that's why you play the game, to win the Super Bowl...
Are the Dolphins capable of winning the Super Bowl with Ryan Tannehill at QB?
Before the New England game, big plays masked Miami's greatest offensive problem in recent years, 3rd down conversions. Miami is currently ranked 27th in the league. In 2017 Miami was dead last, 2016 - 21st, 2015 - 30th... Playoff teams rank at the top of this list, not at the bottom. There are two main reasons why a team ranks poorly.
Number one is penalties that leave the team in untenable down and distance.
Number two is poor QB play under pressure.
Against New England on the biggest stage, Ryan Tannehill did not show up?
Sure, Adam Gase has some answering to do because he's the coach, but he's not the guy out there on the field. Tannehill is not the leader Gase has been spouting about for three weeks while his team pulled out games against marginal opponents.
Miami came back against the Raiders by Tannehill throwing two 1-yard passes...
The QB stats were a complete folly and the guy up in New England knew his team was not going to get beat by 1-yard passes.
Miami spent 2nd and 4th round picks at TE. Are those players still on the team? Are they just bad picks? It seems that if the Dolphins don’t score on a big play, they can barely move the ball. Of the 10 drives with Tannehill on the field, seven ended in punts, two in turnovers and the other ran out the first half.
None of those 10 drives lasted more than five plays...
For some levity so we understand I'm not only picking on Tannehill, the Dolphins defense gave up scoring drives of 74, 67, 22, 85, 59 and 90 yards. The Patriots converted 10 of 15 third downs. They out-gained the Dolphins 449-172. They controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes and ran 75 plays.
“I didn’t see this coming,” a dejected Adam Gase said afterward.
Painfully I must admit, I did see this coming. I saw it coming because I answered the question above actually a few years ago, but the knee injuries pushed the reality further into the future, which is now.
I like Ryan Tannehill. He is a fine man and a very talented quarterback. He simply doesn't carry his team when the stakes depend on him being that guy.
Adam Gase believes if the system is run well enough, Tannehill does not need to be that guy. He could be right, if he had Ray Lewis or Derrick Brooks, Jon Lynch and Warren Sapp, but he doesn't.
Let's be clear, the season is not over, in fact Miami can get a lot better if they learn from this game. So what are the lessons?
Ryan Tannehill is never going to be a great quarterback. This means the team around him must execute with perfect precision if the Miami Dolphins hope to be a contending team...
Miami must understand, the officials are an opponent every week, particularly early in the game. They cannot allow the officials to dictate the early tempo. They must force flags on huge highlight plays because if the flags are going to fly away, Miami may as well be taking shots down the field.
The dinky bubble screens and trap runs have been exposed. Miami must invent a different game plan each week that is not so easily predictable. It's the NFL, no matter how well a team executes, if the other team knows the plays, they will win.
Please stop saying Cameron Wake is a special player... Lost in all the Tannehill talk is the other disappearing Miami star, Wake. He plays against the right tackle, he's had Suh and now Quinn to take away double teams, and he still doesn't get it done.
Like Tannehill, Wake does not show up in big games and he was absent again against New England. If these are the leaders of the Miami Dolphins, well maybe they should follow Suh, Landry and Pouncey out the door because on the biggest stage, they disappeared...
Someone once said, "Ryan Tannehill is just good enough to get you fired..."
Are you listening Adam Gase?
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!!!
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!!!
The Miami Dolphins Have No Meaningless Games
The Miami Dolphins unexpected arrival in the NFL playoff arena for the first time in eight years comes with little fanfare. The first step in Miami’s post season journey actually begins in the regular season finale against their biggest rival, the New England Patriots. Across the league, the Patriots are the preordained KINGS of the AFC and perhaps the entire NFL. By contrast, the Dolphins haven’t tasted playoff victory in sixteen years.
At 13-2, the Patriots have a clear path to home field advantage throughout the playoffs by defeating the Miami Dolphins. A loss by the 12-3 Raiders, without Derek Carr, will also hand home field advantage to New England on the last day of the NFL regular season. Traveling to Miami at 1:00 PM, the Patriots season will be over before the Raiders visit the Denver Broncos at 4:25 PM. The safest passage to home field for the New England Patriots is by defeating the Miami Dolphins.
What was perceived as a meaningless game before the season, looms large for both teams. For New England, home field advantage is huge. Tom Brady is 14-3 at home in the playoffs, and an astonishing 106-18 in all regular season and playoff games. Playing at home is a distinct advantage as Brady and Belichick seek to win an elusive fifth Super Bowl together. Standing in the way, prior to the Raiders game, is the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins are far from NFL darlings and viewed by most pundits as one-and-done playoff fodder for the big boys of January. Way back in week two, the Patriots without Tom Brady handily defeated these Dolphins in what looked like a lost season for Miami. By week six, Adam Gase found his stride and his team reeled off six straight victories before being blown out 38-6 in Baltimore.
That was week 13, the fledgling Dolphins seemed to have crash-landed and with the rising Arizona Cardinals coming to town the questions started sneaking in. The Dolphins held their own and were beating the Cardinals when disaster struck. Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down with a severe knee injury. In that critical moment, the tide changed and Arizona charged from behind to tie the game at 23 in the final minute.
On a rain soaked field, without their QB and leader, with little time left on the clock, Adam Gase, Matt Moore and the entire Miami Dolphin team came together. In a microcosm of their entire season, the Dolphins rose from the ashes. Moore found Kenny Stills who drew a pass interference call from officials that seemed united against Miami the entire game. The moon was in the seventh house, the throw, the catch, the penalty… Jupiter aligned with Mars and in the pouring rain, Andrew Franks kicked Miami past the Cardinals.
26-23, it really wasn’t much of a game, but the rise of the Miami Dolphins had officially begun. Winning in the NFL comes by the thinnest of margins. Through week 16 the Dolphins have scored 349 points, Miami’s opponents have score 338 points. Miami won 10 of 15 games by a total of 11 points, eight of those ten wins came by a touchdown or less. The uninitiated glass-half-empty detractors would point to this as a sign Miami is more lucky than good. 5-10 and losing by a total of 11 points could easily have been the season’s story, but those elusive 11 points fell on Miami’s side of the ledger.
Miami hadn’t swept the Jets or the Bills in years and yet here they stood, blocking Miami’s final path to a playoff berth. With a backup QB and years of ugly baggage, having been there and lost that, the Miami Dolphins landed in icy Meadowlands with a score to settle and a message to send. 34-13 later, the Jets and the rest of the NFL finally turned their heads toward Miami. The Sharps refusing to believe Miami could handle Rex Ryan with his job on the line.
The Bills battled the Dolphins punch for punch, expecting Miami to finally succumb like they had so many times in the past. These Fins, with steadfast Adam Gase at the helm, would not relent, would not go quietly into the night. These Miami Dolphins did not back down and in the end, proudly road out of Buffalo with a 34-31 overtime victory.
The NFL set the table for Miami, three straight AFC East showdowns to see which of the other three teams would via for a playoff spot. Before the season and after a 1-4 start, the Dolphins were not even considered in the mix. In Tampa, where the Buccaneers had played the previous Thursday, 5 hours from Miami, the NFL chose Cincinnati and Baltimore for the televised game. In Orlando five hours away, Cincinnati and Baltimore. In Naples, two hours away, Cincinnati and Baltimore…
All leading to New England in Miami on New Year’s Day 2017 at Hard Rock Stadium. Regardless of secured playoff berths or New England’s quest for home field advantage, the Miami Dolphins march into a brave new future. The Jets and Bills were unceremoniously kicked down into the AFC East cellar and standing at the top, the mighty Patriots. The top of the stairs is not a place where losing is acceptable.
A meaningless game?
Outside the Miami locker room, the stakes were suddenly palpable. Belichick’s words come out all buttery, “Miami is a talented football team, Matt Moore is a very capable QB- …bla, bla, bla, bla, bla…” Drivel, all drivel, Belichick and Brady sense the danger creeping from the south and they will send a message to the upstarts from Miami and coach Adam Gase. We are KING and with this sword you shall be vanquished like the pretenders you are.
January first, 2017 the Patriots standing on the highest hill with all the trophies and accolades staring defiantly down at the lowly Dolphins.
A meaningless game?
This is the most dangerous game of all for Brady and Belichick, Miami has literally nothing to lose. Regardless of the outcome, the Patriots supremacy will not be dismantled on this single day, but the cold Nor’easter that has blown steady for the last two decades is shifting direction. Warm air creeping up from the south is but a sentinel of the changing tides. The Patriots can feel it and know it must be suppressed or the consequences will continue to take root and grow with each Miami victory.
A meaningless game?
Adam Gase, knows his Miami Dolphins play on a razor’s edge, 10 victories with only an 11 point scoring differential tells the tale. The Patriots scoring differential in 13 wins is 170 points. The Dolphins are far from the precipice where the mighty Patriots reign but there is only one way up the mountain. It comes in little nooks and crannies, footholds in the shear rock face, with each victory a landmark is scaled.
Each loss loosens the rocks precariously, waiting to set off an avalanche sending the Miami Dolphins crashing to the bottom once again. Brady and Belichick know, winning begets winning. In a league where the talent level is so closely aligned the psychology of winning is much more important than any physical attribute. They want to teach these upstarts a lesson.
A meaningless game?
A loss will have no outward effect on either team, but in reality, this is a playoff game for both teams.
A meaningless game?
I think not…
At 13-2, the Patriots have a clear path to home field advantage throughout the playoffs by defeating the Miami Dolphins. A loss by the 12-3 Raiders, without Derek Carr, will also hand home field advantage to New England on the last day of the NFL regular season. Traveling to Miami at 1:00 PM, the Patriots season will be over before the Raiders visit the Denver Broncos at 4:25 PM. The safest passage to home field for the New England Patriots is by defeating the Miami Dolphins.
What was perceived as a meaningless game before the season, looms large for both teams. For New England, home field advantage is huge. Tom Brady is 14-3 at home in the playoffs, and an astonishing 106-18 in all regular season and playoff games. Playing at home is a distinct advantage as Brady and Belichick seek to win an elusive fifth Super Bowl together. Standing in the way, prior to the Raiders game, is the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins are far from NFL darlings and viewed by most pundits as one-and-done playoff fodder for the big boys of January. Way back in week two, the Patriots without Tom Brady handily defeated these Dolphins in what looked like a lost season for Miami. By week six, Adam Gase found his stride and his team reeled off six straight victories before being blown out 38-6 in Baltimore.
That was week 13, the fledgling Dolphins seemed to have crash-landed and with the rising Arizona Cardinals coming to town the questions started sneaking in. The Dolphins held their own and were beating the Cardinals when disaster struck. Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill went down with a severe knee injury. In that critical moment, the tide changed and Arizona charged from behind to tie the game at 23 in the final minute.
On a rain soaked field, without their QB and leader, with little time left on the clock, Adam Gase, Matt Moore and the entire Miami Dolphin team came together. In a microcosm of their entire season, the Dolphins rose from the ashes. Moore found Kenny Stills who drew a pass interference call from officials that seemed united against Miami the entire game. The moon was in the seventh house, the throw, the catch, the penalty… Jupiter aligned with Mars and in the pouring rain, Andrew Franks kicked Miami past the Cardinals.
26-23, it really wasn’t much of a game, but the rise of the Miami Dolphins had officially begun. Winning in the NFL comes by the thinnest of margins. Through week 16 the Dolphins have scored 349 points, Miami’s opponents have score 338 points. Miami won 10 of 15 games by a total of 11 points, eight of those ten wins came by a touchdown or less. The uninitiated glass-half-empty detractors would point to this as a sign Miami is more lucky than good. 5-10 and losing by a total of 11 points could easily have been the season’s story, but those elusive 11 points fell on Miami’s side of the ledger.
Miami hadn’t swept the Jets or the Bills in years and yet here they stood, blocking Miami’s final path to a playoff berth. With a backup QB and years of ugly baggage, having been there and lost that, the Miami Dolphins landed in icy Meadowlands with a score to settle and a message to send. 34-13 later, the Jets and the rest of the NFL finally turned their heads toward Miami. The Sharps refusing to believe Miami could handle Rex Ryan with his job on the line.
The Bills battled the Dolphins punch for punch, expecting Miami to finally succumb like they had so many times in the past. These Fins, with steadfast Adam Gase at the helm, would not relent, would not go quietly into the night. These Miami Dolphins did not back down and in the end, proudly road out of Buffalo with a 34-31 overtime victory.
The NFL set the table for Miami, three straight AFC East showdowns to see which of the other three teams would via for a playoff spot. Before the season and after a 1-4 start, the Dolphins were not even considered in the mix. In Tampa, where the Buccaneers had played the previous Thursday, 5 hours from Miami, the NFL chose Cincinnati and Baltimore for the televised game. In Orlando five hours away, Cincinnati and Baltimore. In Naples, two hours away, Cincinnati and Baltimore…
All leading to New England in Miami on New Year’s Day 2017 at Hard Rock Stadium. Regardless of secured playoff berths or New England’s quest for home field advantage, the Miami Dolphins march into a brave new future. The Jets and Bills were unceremoniously kicked down into the AFC East cellar and standing at the top, the mighty Patriots. The top of the stairs is not a place where losing is acceptable.
A meaningless game?
Outside the Miami locker room, the stakes were suddenly palpable. Belichick’s words come out all buttery, “Miami is a talented football team, Matt Moore is a very capable QB- …bla, bla, bla, bla, bla…” Drivel, all drivel, Belichick and Brady sense the danger creeping from the south and they will send a message to the upstarts from Miami and coach Adam Gase. We are KING and with this sword you shall be vanquished like the pretenders you are.
January first, 2017 the Patriots standing on the highest hill with all the trophies and accolades staring defiantly down at the lowly Dolphins.
A meaningless game?
This is the most dangerous game of all for Brady and Belichick, Miami has literally nothing to lose. Regardless of the outcome, the Patriots supremacy will not be dismantled on this single day, but the cold Nor’easter that has blown steady for the last two decades is shifting direction. Warm air creeping up from the south is but a sentinel of the changing tides. The Patriots can feel it and know it must be suppressed or the consequences will continue to take root and grow with each Miami victory.
A meaningless game?
Adam Gase, knows his Miami Dolphins play on a razor’s edge, 10 victories with only an 11 point scoring differential tells the tale. The Patriots scoring differential in 13 wins is 170 points. The Dolphins are far from the precipice where the mighty Patriots reign but there is only one way up the mountain. It comes in little nooks and crannies, footholds in the shear rock face, with each victory a landmark is scaled.
Each loss loosens the rocks precariously, waiting to set off an avalanche sending the Miami Dolphins crashing to the bottom once again. Brady and Belichick know, winning begets winning. In a league where the talent level is so closely aligned the psychology of winning is much more important than any physical attribute. They want to teach these upstarts a lesson.
A meaningless game?
A loss will have no outward effect on either team, but in reality, this is a playoff game for both teams.
A meaningless game?
I think not…
Where Have These Miami Dolphins Been All Year?
Miami Dolphins 2015 Season Finale; By Tony Nicoletti.
This Dolphin team is a difficult one to track. One week, they can't get out of their own way. The next week, they are playing like the dominant force we were hoping they would be all season.
In this week seventeen season finale, we seem to have witnessed a total team effort which appears to be the culmination of several recent weeks of frustration. Are we to believe that it took a couple of weeks for the team to adjust to all the minor tweaks they made after disposing of Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor? In any event, the New England Patriots were beaten handily in Miami by the Dolphins. The score? 20 to 10.
I mean, it was like a total role reversal out there. New England looked like the awkward, troubled Miami Dolphins while the Dolphins looked like the total package, New England Patriots. Miami was able to take away what New England was trying to do. A trait the Patriots and Bill Belichick are notorious for doing to others. Did Dan Campbell, an interim head coach, out-coach Bill Belicheck?
I don't know what to make of this fiasco.
Some might argue that the Patriots were not really motivated and on autopilot. (Trying to save themselves for the playoffs). Considering that they waited until their final possession to pull Brady with the game out of hand would suggests otherwise. They needed to sew up the first seed and have home field advantage so the playoffs would run through Foxborough. Don't tell me they didn't want to win. And for a change, Miami got to be the spoiler instead of the other way around.
I think they were hoping the Dolphins would buckle on defense with a constant diet of running plays, which didn't work. How else do you explain why Brady only threw the ball five times in the first half. We got to him just twice during the game. But those sacks were back to back and at a critical time. Tom Brady was picking himself up off the turf regularly, and often.
The game never really felt like it was in jeopardy. I kept expecting the Patriots to come roaring back, but it never happened. And once New England scored their tying and only touchdown of the game in the third quarter, they were shut down for their lowest offensive stats, (and score) of the season.
Brady had a meager performance. 12 of 21 for 134 yards. Ryan Tannehill, on the other hand, had a Brady-ish like performance on the afternoon. 25 of 38 for 350 yards and two TD's. (This was Ryan's sixth 300 yard game of the season). He was sacked once and picked a gorgeous time for his 19-yard run which netted a first down on third and 12. As a matter of fact, Miami converted at least 5 third downs that involved 7 or more yards. The Dolphins went 8 of 17 for a 47% on third down efficiency. New England? 4 of 14 for 28%.
Statistically, it was a beat down in most categories except the total score. It looked like New England was going to succeed with their running assault as they had 62 yards by the end of the first half. They only got 8 more yards to add to it in the second half. And when is the last time you saw a Brady led team muster only 196 yards of total offense? (70 yards rushing and 126 yards passing). Miami was swimming along with 96 yards rushing and 342 yards through the air for a total of 438 yards. Jordan Cameron TOUCHDOWN!
It's one thing to outscore a team like New England, another to completely shut down the one area that is the Patriots claim to fame. Their passing game. Tom Brady passed the ball to eight different players and not one of them had more than two receptions. Even the great Tight End Rob Gronkowski only pulled in two passes for 18 yards. Not a bad afternoon for a suspect secondary. Brent Grimes
Click to see blown up Devante Parker TOUCHDOWN, and other photo's!
This is the third year in a row that Miami has hosted and beaten the Patriots though I have to admit, this was the year I thought all our AFC East opponents were going to sweep us. I was pleasantly surprised.
On the year, Ryan Tannehill wound up with over 4,000 yards passing again. (4,208 yards in total). He completed 61.9 % of his passes and finished with an 88.7 passer rating, 24 touch downs and 12 Interceptions. He had half as many interceptions as touch downs. It was a slight step back in touchdowns and ratings. In total passing yardage, he is number nine of the top ten passers. (All of which also threw for more than 4,000 yards).
Sorry if it sounds like I'm making a big deal out of one lousy game but this win came from out of nowhere. Yeah, they may have cost themselves 3 or 4 spots in the draft order positioning but you have to admit, seeing this kind of dominant performance is refreshing. Even more so against the best team in the AFC, a divisional rival and reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.
It is encouraging, but I don't think it will be enough to keep Dan Campbell at the helm. We have some first and second-year players that contributed greatly during these last few games. Get ready for a wild ride during Miami's off-season. Should be interesting to see if this team really gets blown up or if we actually have enough of a nucleus to build on. It will make a big difference in determining how many more years we will be sitting at home during the playoffs. But these are all subjects for another post.
Thanks for being patient with me while I rant and rave.
This Dolphin team is a difficult one to track. One week, they can't get out of their own way. The next week, they are playing like the dominant force we were hoping they would be all season.
In this week seventeen season finale, we seem to have witnessed a total team effort which appears to be the culmination of several recent weeks of frustration. Are we to believe that it took a couple of weeks for the team to adjust to all the minor tweaks they made after disposing of Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor? In any event, the New England Patriots were beaten handily in Miami by the Dolphins. The score? 20 to 10.
I mean, it was like a total role reversal out there. New England looked like the awkward, troubled Miami Dolphins while the Dolphins looked like the total package, New England Patriots. Miami was able to take away what New England was trying to do. A trait the Patriots and Bill Belichick are notorious for doing to others. Did Dan Campbell, an interim head coach, out-coach Bill Belicheck?
I don't know what to make of this fiasco.
Some might argue that the Patriots were not really motivated and on autopilot. (Trying to save themselves for the playoffs). Considering that they waited until their final possession to pull Brady with the game out of hand would suggests otherwise. They needed to sew up the first seed and have home field advantage so the playoffs would run through Foxborough. Don't tell me they didn't want to win. And for a change, Miami got to be the spoiler instead of the other way around.
I think they were hoping the Dolphins would buckle on defense with a constant diet of running plays, which didn't work. How else do you explain why Brady only threw the ball five times in the first half. We got to him just twice during the game. But those sacks were back to back and at a critical time. Tom Brady was picking himself up off the turf regularly, and often.
The game never really felt like it was in jeopardy. I kept expecting the Patriots to come roaring back, but it never happened. And once New England scored their tying and only touchdown of the game in the third quarter, they were shut down for their lowest offensive stats, (and score) of the season.
Brady had a meager performance. 12 of 21 for 134 yards. Ryan Tannehill, on the other hand, had a Brady-ish like performance on the afternoon. 25 of 38 for 350 yards and two TD's. (This was Ryan's sixth 300 yard game of the season). He was sacked once and picked a gorgeous time for his 19-yard run which netted a first down on third and 12. As a matter of fact, Miami converted at least 5 third downs that involved 7 or more yards. The Dolphins went 8 of 17 for a 47% on third down efficiency. New England? 4 of 14 for 28%.
Statistically, it was a beat down in most categories except the total score. It looked like New England was going to succeed with their running assault as they had 62 yards by the end of the first half. They only got 8 more yards to add to it in the second half. And when is the last time you saw a Brady led team muster only 196 yards of total offense? (70 yards rushing and 126 yards passing). Miami was swimming along with 96 yards rushing and 342 yards through the air for a total of 438 yards. Jordan Cameron TOUCHDOWN!
This is the third year in a row that Miami has hosted and beaten the Patriots though I have to admit, this was the year I thought all our AFC East opponents were going to sweep us. I was pleasantly surprised.
On the year, Ryan Tannehill wound up with over 4,000 yards passing again. (4,208 yards in total). He completed 61.9 % of his passes and finished with an 88.7 passer rating, 24 touch downs and 12 Interceptions. He had half as many interceptions as touch downs. It was a slight step back in touchdowns and ratings. In total passing yardage, he is number nine of the top ten passers. (All of which also threw for more than 4,000 yards).
Sorry if it sounds like I'm making a big deal out of one lousy game but this win came from out of nowhere. Yeah, they may have cost themselves 3 or 4 spots in the draft order positioning but you have to admit, seeing this kind of dominant performance is refreshing. Even more so against the best team in the AFC, a divisional rival and reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.
It is encouraging, but I don't think it will be enough to keep Dan Campbell at the helm. We have some first and second-year players that contributed greatly during these last few games. Get ready for a wild ride during Miami's off-season. Should be interesting to see if this team really gets blown up or if we actually have enough of a nucleus to build on. It will make a big difference in determining how many more years we will be sitting at home during the playoffs. But these are all subjects for another post.
Thanks for being patient with me while I rant and rave.
The Miami Dolphins Outclassed by the Patriots
Challenging the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium on Prime Time TV proved too large for fledgling head coach Dan Campbell and shaky Miami Dolphin quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The cards were stacked against the Dolphins; a short week, the reigning NFL champion, four time SB winning coach, the league’s best QB and a packed house all conspiring to suck the wind from Miami’s sails.
NFL schedule makers could not hope for a more predictable easy New England victory…
The league’s best team held court in its lofty aerie… Foolish minions, attempting to storm a fortress that has not seen an October loss in over ten years, conjures David versus Goliath. The Miami Dolphins got to see the-view-from-the-top firsthand and know how far they must climb to reach the pinnacle.
From the opening drive, Brady and the Patriot’s offense set the Dolphin defense on its heels. The score came far too easy and perhaps the confidence Miami brought to the game wavered early. Getting Brady off his spot proved elusive as footballs flashed across the field in rapid succession. The Dolphins knew Brady would come out slinging five yard lasers but it was his ability to always find the mismatch that stifled the Miami defense.
It is hard to reconcile Ryan Tannehill’s inconsistency week to week when watching Brady’s mastery of the position. Baffling interceptions seem to come exactly when the team is gravely in need of a champion. Great performances mean little when followed by rotten eggs billowing gaseous sulfuric stench from Foxborough all the way to Miami.
Brady commandeered the position from Drew Bledsoe and led New England to the Super Bowl in his second season. Miami fans mope through another awful QB performance wondering if Tannehill's good will ever overcome his bad…
The bad got worse when Cameron Wake sustained an Achilles tendon injury late in the third quarter and former first-round pick offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James was carted off in the first half, neither returned. The Dolphins precarious offensive line depth could not stand the test, as the Miami running game ground to a halt producing, only 15 yards in 13 carries.
It was a typical Bill Belichick game plan… The Dolphins wondered which player Billy Genius would take away when Belichick simply attacked the running game begging Tannehill to beat him. It was the formula well used at the end of last season and proved just as effective. Without a running game, Tannehill could not put the team on his back and win the football game, it’s that simple.
The sick fact is, over the past 10 seasons, the Patriots are 4-0 when at least 80 percent of their plays are passes… The rest of the NFL is 3-109 over that time! (Thanks whoever I stole that from!)
Belichick re-exposed the weakness in Miami and the old films will resurface. Shut down the run and force Tannehill to win with his arm. Dominating on the offensive front early solves the issue, but when the defense knows the strategy it’s easy to game plan and Belichick was right on it.
Our Man Campbell knows what’s in store, and hopefully will not have to work without right tackle Ja'Wuan James.
The Dolphin defense did not play as bad a game as the score would indicate. A botched snap by Mike Pouncey led to a safety and a constant Patriot field position advantage caused short fields the entire night. Miami held New England to nine points for most of the first half, but the offense offered no help. Belichick and Brady are famous for getting defensive mismatches and speeding up the game to keep defenses from adjusting.
The disappointing loss will leave a bitter taste in Man Campbell’s mouth but the long week helps Miami face two consecutive road games. How the Dolphins respond to the loss in the New England will determine their relevancy for the remainder of the season.
Going through Brady and Belichick twice each season places a severe burden on teams in the AFC East. No other division in the NFL has been dominated by a single team and that lack of domination allows different teams to rise. Miami knows climbing the mountain only leads to the impenetrable fortress on top but it cannot be the deterrent for a gradual climb.
Teams will begin shutting the run game down from the onset and the Miami Dolphin’s fate will follow Ryan Tannehill’s right arm. The fairness of that assessment is irrelevant. The cruel reality of playing in the AFC East is irrelevant. The NFL is a bottom line league and the bottom line question for Miami is, can the team can ride Ryan Tannehill when a defense takes away the run game? Unfortunately the answer has not been favorable to this point in Tannehill’s career.
If Man Campbell wishes to be a successful NFL head coach he will have to solve this problem for the sake of his own career. Campbell is the ninth Miami HC since Don Shula and each coach has lacked the one ingredient separating them from Shula and Bill Belichick, for that matter, a great quarterback.
The clock is running out on Ryan Tannehill. The next several games will define his career and unfortunately it may also determine whether Campbell is the coach in Miami next season. In the fourth season, there can no longer be a learning curve. There can no longer be a couple great games followed by an odorous rotten egg. Mediocrity is another definition for inconsistency and in the NFL, there is no middle ground.
Man Campbell and Ryan Tannehill were left wounded at the bottom of mountain…
Foolish minions, attempting to storm the fortress like David taking on Goliath. A lucky sling will not slay this giant. Consistency every game is the only match for the precision emanating from the fortress above.
Waiting for its emergence season after season is not only foolish; it’s the definition of insanity…
NFL schedule makers could not hope for a more predictable easy New England victory…
The league’s best team held court in its lofty aerie… Foolish minions, attempting to storm a fortress that has not seen an October loss in over ten years, conjures David versus Goliath. The Miami Dolphins got to see the-view-from-the-top firsthand and know how far they must climb to reach the pinnacle.
From the opening drive, Brady and the Patriot’s offense set the Dolphin defense on its heels. The score came far too easy and perhaps the confidence Miami brought to the game wavered early. Getting Brady off his spot proved elusive as footballs flashed across the field in rapid succession. The Dolphins knew Brady would come out slinging five yard lasers but it was his ability to always find the mismatch that stifled the Miami defense.
It is hard to reconcile Ryan Tannehill’s inconsistency week to week when watching Brady’s mastery of the position. Baffling interceptions seem to come exactly when the team is gravely in need of a champion. Great performances mean little when followed by rotten eggs billowing gaseous sulfuric stench from Foxborough all the way to Miami.
Brady commandeered the position from Drew Bledsoe and led New England to the Super Bowl in his second season. Miami fans mope through another awful QB performance wondering if Tannehill's good will ever overcome his bad…
The bad got worse when Cameron Wake sustained an Achilles tendon injury late in the third quarter and former first-round pick offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James was carted off in the first half, neither returned. The Dolphins precarious offensive line depth could not stand the test, as the Miami running game ground to a halt producing, only 15 yards in 13 carries.
It was a typical Bill Belichick game plan… The Dolphins wondered which player Billy Genius would take away when Belichick simply attacked the running game begging Tannehill to beat him. It was the formula well used at the end of last season and proved just as effective. Without a running game, Tannehill could not put the team on his back and win the football game, it’s that simple.
The sick fact is, over the past 10 seasons, the Patriots are 4-0 when at least 80 percent of their plays are passes… The rest of the NFL is 3-109 over that time! (Thanks whoever I stole that from!)
Belichick re-exposed the weakness in Miami and the old films will resurface. Shut down the run and force Tannehill to win with his arm. Dominating on the offensive front early solves the issue, but when the defense knows the strategy it’s easy to game plan and Belichick was right on it.
Our Man Campbell knows what’s in store, and hopefully will not have to work without right tackle Ja'Wuan James.
The Dolphin defense did not play as bad a game as the score would indicate. A botched snap by Mike Pouncey led to a safety and a constant Patriot field position advantage caused short fields the entire night. Miami held New England to nine points for most of the first half, but the offense offered no help. Belichick and Brady are famous for getting defensive mismatches and speeding up the game to keep defenses from adjusting.
The disappointing loss will leave a bitter taste in Man Campbell’s mouth but the long week helps Miami face two consecutive road games. How the Dolphins respond to the loss in the New England will determine their relevancy for the remainder of the season.
Going through Brady and Belichick twice each season places a severe burden on teams in the AFC East. No other division in the NFL has been dominated by a single team and that lack of domination allows different teams to rise. Miami knows climbing the mountain only leads to the impenetrable fortress on top but it cannot be the deterrent for a gradual climb.
Teams will begin shutting the run game down from the onset and the Miami Dolphin’s fate will follow Ryan Tannehill’s right arm. The fairness of that assessment is irrelevant. The cruel reality of playing in the AFC East is irrelevant. The NFL is a bottom line league and the bottom line question for Miami is, can the team can ride Ryan Tannehill when a defense takes away the run game? Unfortunately the answer has not been favorable to this point in Tannehill’s career.
If Man Campbell wishes to be a successful NFL head coach he will have to solve this problem for the sake of his own career. Campbell is the ninth Miami HC since Don Shula and each coach has lacked the one ingredient separating them from Shula and Bill Belichick, for that matter, a great quarterback.
The clock is running out on Ryan Tannehill. The next several games will define his career and unfortunately it may also determine whether Campbell is the coach in Miami next season. In the fourth season, there can no longer be a learning curve. There can no longer be a couple great games followed by an odorous rotten egg. Mediocrity is another definition for inconsistency and in the NFL, there is no middle ground.
Man Campbell and Ryan Tannehill were left wounded at the bottom of mountain…
Foolish minions, attempting to storm the fortress like David taking on Goliath. A lucky sling will not slay this giant. Consistency every game is the only match for the precision emanating from the fortress above.
Waiting for its emergence season after season is not only foolish; it’s the definition of insanity…
Miami Dolphins 2015 Schedule
Today's National Football League and the Miami Dolphins kickoff their fiftieth seasons in less than a fortnight. The leagues schedule makers has the Dolphins starting off innocently enough with a two game road stint at teams with a combined 2014 record of 7 - 25. However. They also have Miami playing Seven of their first Nine games away from the affectionately referred to Joe Robbie Stadium and/or Sun Life Stadium.
1)At Washington Redskins (4 - 12), Sunday September 13th, 1 pm EST.
2)At Jacksonville Jaguars (3 - 13), Sunday September 20th, 4 pm.
Miami's first home game opponent is an inner-division rival that's had the Dolphins number of late.
3)Versus Buffalo Bills (9 - 7), Sunday September 27th, 4:25 pm.
The Dolphins follow that inner-division home game with another home game that takes place in London which happens to be located 1,000 miles further from Miami than from where a second inner-division rival resides.
4)Versus New York Jets (4 - 12), Sunday October 4th, (London) 9:30 AM EST.
A Bye takes place after the seasons longest road trip for a home game.
5) Bye
Following what totals out to be a two way airplane excursion of nine thousand miles for a home game and the Bye week, the Dolphins are again in flight toward an AFC opponent.
6)At Tennessee Titans (2 - 14), Sunday October 18th, 1 pm.
Through the seasons first five games the Miami Dolphins have been in the air on eight occasions, and have faced teams with a combined 2014 record of 22 - 58. It's safe to say that despite all of the frequent flier miles gathered thus-far, the Dolphins had better be swimming with the current from the get go because beyond this point of the season is when the real turbulence begins.
Miami's Dolphins come home for what is just their second game of the season at JRS! They will be taking on a team that they have never beaten in seven tries with three of those attempts taking place at JRS.
7)Versus Houston Texans (9 - 7), Sunday October 25th, 1 pm.
Ohhh-Well, after a much deserved second game on their own turf out of six total games. The Miami Dolphins now get to go on a ruthless three game road trip at teams that tabulated a combined 31 - 17 record in 2014. They start out this particular stint on a Thursday Night with only three days rest at a most feared inner-division rival. Miami then follows that up with another road trip to a potentially snow bound inner-division menace which precedes a third straight road game at the frigid tundra of an NFC East power house!
8)At New England (12 - 4), Thursday October 29th, 8:25 pm.
9)At Buffalo Bills (9 - 7), Sunday November 8th, 1 pm.
10)At Philadelphia Eagles (10 - 6), Sunday November 15th, 1 pm.
Wheeww, what a stretch, and now they have an opportunity to host just their third game of the season at JRS, and they get the NFC Eastern Division Champs.
11)Versus Dallas Cowboys (12 - 4), Sunday November 22nd, 1 pm.
Got that home cook'in out of the way, might as well go tug on a snow covered inner-division thorn.
12)At New York Jets (4 - 12), Sunday November 29th, 1 pm.
So, Miami's Dolphins may or may not have survived the seasons first eleven games of which only three were contended from their own familiar turf with a total of four being counted as home games.
With just five games remaining the Dolphins finally get a break (of sorts), and head home to host four of the seasons final five ever important, playoff pursuit match-ups.
"ALL-RIGHT MIAMI", Here We Go Dolphins, Here We Go!
To start off a two game home stand the Dolphins will host an AFC nemesis that holds a seven games to five head to head advantage while beating Miami in five consecutive meetings.
13)Versus Baltimore Ravens (10 - 6), Sunday December 6th, 1 pm.
A Monday Night Match-Up against an NFC East team follows as somewhat of a reprieve.
14)Versus New York Giants (6 - 10), Monday December 14th, 8:30 pm.
The season's second longest 500 MPH roller-coaster ride breaks up Miami's first stretch that included two consecutive home games at JRS! The Dolphins will be flying West to face off against an AFC contender that Miami beat (at JRS) 37 - ZIPPP in 2014.
15)At San Diego Chargers (9 - 7), Sunday December 20th, 4:25 pm.
Miami has two remaining games, and it is just their second two game home stand of the season. To top off a schedule that seemed "innocent enough" to begin with! The (potentially chasing playoffs) Miami Dolphins close the season hosting the AFC's two best quarterbacks and/or teams that participated in 2014's AFC Championship.
16)Versus Indianapolis Colts (11 - 5), Sunday December 27th, 1 pm.
17)Versus New England Patriots (12 - 4), Sunday January 3rd, 1 pm.
It's the perfect storm.
Excluding the AFC East (because Miami has road & home match-ups against) the Divisional opposition of Buffalo, New York, and New England. The 2015 road opponents outside of the division (Redskins, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, and Chargers) had a combined 2014 record of 28 - 52. The Dolphins will need to win at least four of the above as well as one or more divisional road games.
Meanwhile, Miami's home games (outside of the division) are for the most part against serious playoff contenders in the (Texans, Cowboys, Ravens, Giants, and Colts) who had a 2014 accrued record of 48 - 32. Miami will greatly need the home field advantage in order to win the majority of the games at their own venue which ESPECIALLY includes the 25 - 23 AFC East (BILLS, JETS, AND PATRIOTS)!
It's the perfect storm.
Should The Miami Dolphins happen to make the playoffs?
They will already be playoff worthy,
and a serious force to be reckoned with no-matter the venue!
So.
Were the North-Eastern Based National Football Leagues schedule makers fair to their Southern based Brethren? How do you think the battles amidst the war will play out?
Thank You for an Open-Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!
GOFINS!!!
1)At Washington Redskins (4 - 12), Sunday September 13th, 1 pm EST.
2)At Jacksonville Jaguars (3 - 13), Sunday September 20th, 4 pm.
Miami's first home game opponent is an inner-division rival that's had the Dolphins number of late.
3)Versus Buffalo Bills (9 - 7), Sunday September 27th, 4:25 pm.
The Dolphins follow that inner-division home game with another home game that takes place in London which happens to be located 1,000 miles further from Miami than from where a second inner-division rival resides.
4)Versus New York Jets (4 - 12), Sunday October 4th, (London) 9:30 AM EST.
A Bye takes place after the seasons longest road trip for a home game.
5) Bye
Following what totals out to be a two way airplane excursion of nine thousand miles for a home game and the Bye week, the Dolphins are again in flight toward an AFC opponent.
6)At Tennessee Titans (2 - 14), Sunday October 18th, 1 pm.
Through the seasons first five games the Miami Dolphins have been in the air on eight occasions, and have faced teams with a combined 2014 record of 22 - 58. It's safe to say that despite all of the frequent flier miles gathered thus-far, the Dolphins had better be swimming with the current from the get go because beyond this point of the season is when the real turbulence begins.
Miami's Dolphins come home for what is just their second game of the season at JRS! They will be taking on a team that they have never beaten in seven tries with three of those attempts taking place at JRS.
7)Versus Houston Texans (9 - 7), Sunday October 25th, 1 pm.
Ohhh-Well, after a much deserved second game on their own turf out of six total games. The Miami Dolphins now get to go on a ruthless three game road trip at teams that tabulated a combined 31 - 17 record in 2014. They start out this particular stint on a Thursday Night with only three days rest at a most feared inner-division rival. Miami then follows that up with another road trip to a potentially snow bound inner-division menace which precedes a third straight road game at the frigid tundra of an NFC East power house!
8)At New England (12 - 4), Thursday October 29th, 8:25 pm.
9)At Buffalo Bills (9 - 7), Sunday November 8th, 1 pm.
10)At Philadelphia Eagles (10 - 6), Sunday November 15th, 1 pm.
Wheeww, what a stretch, and now they have an opportunity to host just their third game of the season at JRS, and they get the NFC Eastern Division Champs.
11)Versus Dallas Cowboys (12 - 4), Sunday November 22nd, 1 pm.
Got that home cook'in out of the way, might as well go tug on a snow covered inner-division thorn.
12)At New York Jets (4 - 12), Sunday November 29th, 1 pm.
So, Miami's Dolphins may or may not have survived the seasons first eleven games of which only three were contended from their own familiar turf with a total of four being counted as home games.
With just five games remaining the Dolphins finally get a break (of sorts), and head home to host four of the seasons final five ever important, playoff pursuit match-ups.
"ALL-RIGHT MIAMI", Here We Go Dolphins, Here We Go!
To start off a two game home stand the Dolphins will host an AFC nemesis that holds a seven games to five head to head advantage while beating Miami in five consecutive meetings.
13)Versus Baltimore Ravens (10 - 6), Sunday December 6th, 1 pm.
A Monday Night Match-Up against an NFC East team follows as somewhat of a reprieve.
14)Versus New York Giants (6 - 10), Monday December 14th, 8:30 pm.
The season's second longest 500 MPH roller-coaster ride breaks up Miami's first stretch that included two consecutive home games at JRS! The Dolphins will be flying West to face off against an AFC contender that Miami beat (at JRS) 37 - ZIPPP in 2014.
15)At San Diego Chargers (9 - 7), Sunday December 20th, 4:25 pm.
Miami has two remaining games, and it is just their second two game home stand of the season. To top off a schedule that seemed "innocent enough" to begin with! The (potentially chasing playoffs) Miami Dolphins close the season hosting the AFC's two best quarterbacks and/or teams that participated in 2014's AFC Championship.
16)Versus Indianapolis Colts (11 - 5), Sunday December 27th, 1 pm.
17)Versus New England Patriots (12 - 4), Sunday January 3rd, 1 pm.
It's the perfect storm.
Excluding the AFC East (because Miami has road & home match-ups against) the Divisional opposition of Buffalo, New York, and New England. The 2015 road opponents outside of the division (Redskins, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, and Chargers) had a combined 2014 record of 28 - 52. The Dolphins will need to win at least four of the above as well as one or more divisional road games.
Meanwhile, Miami's home games (outside of the division) are for the most part against serious playoff contenders in the (Texans, Cowboys, Ravens, Giants, and Colts) who had a 2014 accrued record of 48 - 32. Miami will greatly need the home field advantage in order to win the majority of the games at their own venue which ESPECIALLY includes the 25 - 23 AFC East (BILLS, JETS, AND PATRIOTS)!
It's the perfect storm.
Should The Miami Dolphins happen to make the playoffs?
They will already be playoff worthy,
and a serious force to be reckoned with no-matter the venue!
So.
Were the North-Eastern Based National Football Leagues schedule makers fair to their Southern based Brethren? How do you think the battles amidst the war will play out?
Thank You for an Open-Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!
GOFINS!!!
Blatantly Dropped Deep Ball Touchdowns, and Turnovers Doom Dolphins at Patriots
Don't blame the Miami Dolphins only everyday Joe and Head Coach!
Ryan Tannehill's deep ball throws were well placed on this day! On the games first play the quarterback tossed the ball 60 yards through the air between two defenders for a 50 yard completion to Mike Wallace at the Patriots 30 yard line. Miami followed up that play with a three and out which resulted in a blocked field goal attempt that was returned 62 yards for a New England touchdown and 7 - 0 score. It was the Dolphins first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by the opponent since 1991.
On the eighth play of Miami's second series with a third down and fifteen yards to go. Tannehill lobbed a ball 55 yards through the air to a precise spot at the Pats 15 yard line. Brian Hartline lost track of the ball due to the sun being in his eyes while had he simply continued to run forward the ball would have hit him in the face mask.
Miami punted, and on New England's 6th play of the possession, a backup to the backup linebacker Jason Trusnik intercepted Tom Brady at the Dolphins 35 yard line. The Dolphins went 60 yards in 9 plays for a 24 yard field goal, and 7 - 3 deficit with 59 first quarter seconds remaining. By quarters end, the visitors with 10 rush attempts for 49 yards had out gained the home team in total yardage by 150 to 57.
New England's first quarter ending series was halted 3 minutes into the 2nd quarter at the Miami 47 yard line, and the Dolphins fair caught the punt at their own 10. Six plays later from the Miami 45 on 3rd and 14, Tannehill threw a high pass of an intended 18 yards to Brandon Gibson that went off of his fingertips and into the arms of a Patriot defender who returned the interception 60 yards to the Dolphins 8 yard line. Three plays later the Pats walked it in from 3 yards out for a 14 - 3 lead seven minutes into the 2nd quarter.
The Dolphins returned the kickoff to their own 27, and in five plays moved it to the Patriots 35 yard line. On 3rd and 9 from the 35, Ryan Tannehill tossed another perfectly placed 42 yards through the air pass into the end zone that running back Damien Williams blatantly dropped. Caleb Sturgis kicked a 53 yard field goal to narrow the deficit to eight points at 14 - 6.
New England followed with a six & out. Then Miami had an eight & out which was prior to a Patriots three & out and punt that the Dolphins Jarvis Landry returned 32 yards to the home teams 32 yard line with eleven second quarter ticks to go. On first down, Ryan Tannehill dropped back to the 40 and threw another perfect pass down the left sideline into the end zone that Mike Wallace caught with one hand for a touchdown and 14 - 13 halftime score.
Miami's visiting Dolphins accrued 271 total first half yards to the home teams mighty New England Patriots 103. Ryan Tannehill didn't suffer a single sack, and Miami had 18 rushes for 74 yards.
Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the day as the Patriots came out of the tunnel with a different strategy. They proceeded to attack the Dolphins backup to the backup linebackers as well as at backup safety with tight end Rob Gronkowski (who wasn't targeted over the first half), and New England scored 27 unanswered second half points for a 41 - 13 final score.
The Pats opened the third quarter with a 3 yard touchdown run on a drive that covered 79 yards in 8 plays for a score of 21 - 13. After a Dolphin three & out, New England covered another 47 yards in ten plays for a 35 yard field goal and 24 - 13 game.
In four 3rd quarter touches of the ball Miami had 10 plays for 46 yards, and a Tannehill interception that was deflected off of Lamar Miller (due to an non-call of early contact). The interception came on first and ten from the Miami 20 on the Dolphins second 3rd quarter touch of the ball, and was returned to the Dolphin 27 yard line. On first down Brady hit Gronkowski for a 27 yard touchdown to pull away at 31 - 13.
Miami followed with another three & out which was followed by a Patriots 3 play drive of 47 yards and Brady touchdown pass of six yards to go up 38 - 13. The win or lose outcome had already been decided, but Tannehill had one last perfectly thrown touchdown pass of 35 yards through the air into the end zone that was blatantly dropped by Rishard Matthews in the 4th quarter. The Dolphins had 27 plays for 91 yards in the fourth quarter, and New England added a field goal on their second to last possession to finalize the scoreboard at 41 - 13.
After keeping Ryan Tannehill's butt clean over the first half, the Dolphins offensive line allowed four second half sacks of their quarterback! Tom Brady was not sacked on the day! Due to the Patriots increasing a one point halftime lead to 18 points in just eleven minutes on their first three 3rd quarter possessions! Miami was forced to throw the ball, and their running game gained just two second half yards on four attempts!
The Miami Dolphins with 23 first downs held the ball for 7 and a half minutes longer than New England who also converted 23 first downs. Miami's 308 via the pass and 76 on the ground to total (384 yards) had eleven fewer total yards than the Patriots (395) which included 287 pass, and 108 rushing. Ryan Tannehill went 29 of 47 with one touchdown to go along with two deflections that resulted in interceptions, and numerous receiver drops. Mike Wallace had 5 receptions for 104 yards with a touchdown, and Jarvis Landry caught 8 balls for 99 yards.
In a game with a final score Dolphin deficit of 28 points the Patriots scored 21 points off of turnovers which included a blocked field goal returned for an early touchdown lead, and two interceptions while Miami receivers blatantly dropped two perfectly placed Ryan Tannehill deep ball touchdowns in the end zone.
As suggested they'd be prior to the season, the Dolphins are 7 and 7 with two games to go. However. As suggested prior to the season that the final two games would be the deciding factor. They will not be, as the decimated by injuries Miami Dolphins have been all but mathematically eliminated from post season play.
Thank You for an Open Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!
On Behalf of The Miami Dolphins, I'm SORRY that they let you down AGAIN!! :""(( !!
For what it's worth. Whether you want to believe it or not?
Though the Dolphins may end up with a lesser record than in 2013.
The 2014 Miami Dolphins are far better than last years team, and 2015 should be spectacular with a few key additions and reasonable health!
GOFINS!!!
Other than the first half of play, the only good that came from today's results was that Miami drew three spots closer to the top of the 2015 draft, and would pick 15th if the draft were tomorrow.
Here are some first round prospects that the Dolphins need to target.
True double coverage requiring number one receivers to free up Mike Wallace.
Amari Cooper Alabama (Heisman Runner Up)
Kevin White West Virginia
Devante Parker Louisville
Jaelan Strong Arizona State
Offensive Left Tackle so that Ju'Waun James can play his natural right tackle spot.
Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame
Offensive Lineman Right Tackle/Guard
La'el Collins LSU
Defensive End/OLB/Pass rusher extraordinaire
Shane Ray Missouri
Vic Beasley Clemson
Corner Back
P.J. Williams FSU
Running Back
Melvin Gordon Wisconsin (Heisman third place runner up)
Round Two.
Line Backers
Bernardrick McKinney Mississippi State
Denzel Perryman The U
Corner Backs
Trae Waynes Michigan State
Ronald Darby FSU
Alex Carter Stanford
Offensive Tackle
T.J Clemmings Pittsburgh
Ereck Flowers The U
Offensive Guard
Arie Kouandjio Alabama
Josue Matias FSU
Wide Receiver
Sammie Coates Auburn
Dorial Green-Beckham Oklahoma
BRING-ON APRIL, and fast !!
Ryan Tannehill's deep ball throws were well placed on this day! On the games first play the quarterback tossed the ball 60 yards through the air between two defenders for a 50 yard completion to Mike Wallace at the Patriots 30 yard line. Miami followed up that play with a three and out which resulted in a blocked field goal attempt that was returned 62 yards for a New England touchdown and 7 - 0 score. It was the Dolphins first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by the opponent since 1991.
On the eighth play of Miami's second series with a third down and fifteen yards to go. Tannehill lobbed a ball 55 yards through the air to a precise spot at the Pats 15 yard line. Brian Hartline lost track of the ball due to the sun being in his eyes while had he simply continued to run forward the ball would have hit him in the face mask.
Miami punted, and on New England's 6th play of the possession, a backup to the backup linebacker Jason Trusnik intercepted Tom Brady at the Dolphins 35 yard line. The Dolphins went 60 yards in 9 plays for a 24 yard field goal, and 7 - 3 deficit with 59 first quarter seconds remaining. By quarters end, the visitors with 10 rush attempts for 49 yards had out gained the home team in total yardage by 150 to 57.
New England's first quarter ending series was halted 3 minutes into the 2nd quarter at the Miami 47 yard line, and the Dolphins fair caught the punt at their own 10. Six plays later from the Miami 45 on 3rd and 14, Tannehill threw a high pass of an intended 18 yards to Brandon Gibson that went off of his fingertips and into the arms of a Patriot defender who returned the interception 60 yards to the Dolphins 8 yard line. Three plays later the Pats walked it in from 3 yards out for a 14 - 3 lead seven minutes into the 2nd quarter.
The Dolphins returned the kickoff to their own 27, and in five plays moved it to the Patriots 35 yard line. On 3rd and 9 from the 35, Ryan Tannehill tossed another perfectly placed 42 yards through the air pass into the end zone that running back Damien Williams blatantly dropped. Caleb Sturgis kicked a 53 yard field goal to narrow the deficit to eight points at 14 - 6.
New England followed with a six & out. Then Miami had an eight & out which was prior to a Patriots three & out and punt that the Dolphins Jarvis Landry returned 32 yards to the home teams 32 yard line with eleven second quarter ticks to go. On first down, Ryan Tannehill dropped back to the 40 and threw another perfect pass down the left sideline into the end zone that Mike Wallace caught with one hand for a touchdown and 14 - 13 halftime score.
Miami's visiting Dolphins accrued 271 total first half yards to the home teams mighty New England Patriots 103. Ryan Tannehill didn't suffer a single sack, and Miami had 18 rushes for 74 yards.
Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the day as the Patriots came out of the tunnel with a different strategy. They proceeded to attack the Dolphins backup to the backup linebackers as well as at backup safety with tight end Rob Gronkowski (who wasn't targeted over the first half), and New England scored 27 unanswered second half points for a 41 - 13 final score.
The Pats opened the third quarter with a 3 yard touchdown run on a drive that covered 79 yards in 8 plays for a score of 21 - 13. After a Dolphin three & out, New England covered another 47 yards in ten plays for a 35 yard field goal and 24 - 13 game.
In four 3rd quarter touches of the ball Miami had 10 plays for 46 yards, and a Tannehill interception that was deflected off of Lamar Miller (due to an non-call of early contact). The interception came on first and ten from the Miami 20 on the Dolphins second 3rd quarter touch of the ball, and was returned to the Dolphin 27 yard line. On first down Brady hit Gronkowski for a 27 yard touchdown to pull away at 31 - 13.
Miami followed with another three & out which was followed by a Patriots 3 play drive of 47 yards and Brady touchdown pass of six yards to go up 38 - 13. The win or lose outcome had already been decided, but Tannehill had one last perfectly thrown touchdown pass of 35 yards through the air into the end zone that was blatantly dropped by Rishard Matthews in the 4th quarter. The Dolphins had 27 plays for 91 yards in the fourth quarter, and New England added a field goal on their second to last possession to finalize the scoreboard at 41 - 13.
After keeping Ryan Tannehill's butt clean over the first half, the Dolphins offensive line allowed four second half sacks of their quarterback! Tom Brady was not sacked on the day! Due to the Patriots increasing a one point halftime lead to 18 points in just eleven minutes on their first three 3rd quarter possessions! Miami was forced to throw the ball, and their running game gained just two second half yards on four attempts!
The Miami Dolphins with 23 first downs held the ball for 7 and a half minutes longer than New England who also converted 23 first downs. Miami's 308 via the pass and 76 on the ground to total (384 yards) had eleven fewer total yards than the Patriots (395) which included 287 pass, and 108 rushing. Ryan Tannehill went 29 of 47 with one touchdown to go along with two deflections that resulted in interceptions, and numerous receiver drops. Mike Wallace had 5 receptions for 104 yards with a touchdown, and Jarvis Landry caught 8 balls for 99 yards.
In a game with a final score Dolphin deficit of 28 points the Patriots scored 21 points off of turnovers which included a blocked field goal returned for an early touchdown lead, and two interceptions while Miami receivers blatantly dropped two perfectly placed Ryan Tannehill deep ball touchdowns in the end zone.
As suggested they'd be prior to the season, the Dolphins are 7 and 7 with two games to go. However. As suggested prior to the season that the final two games would be the deciding factor. They will not be, as the decimated by injuries Miami Dolphins have been all but mathematically eliminated from post season play.
Thank You for an Open Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view : )) !!
On Behalf of The Miami Dolphins, I'm SORRY that they let you down AGAIN!! :""(( !!
For what it's worth. Whether you want to believe it or not?
Though the Dolphins may end up with a lesser record than in 2013.
The 2014 Miami Dolphins are far better than last years team, and 2015 should be spectacular with a few key additions and reasonable health!
GOFINS!!!
Other than the first half of play, the only good that came from today's results was that Miami drew three spots closer to the top of the 2015 draft, and would pick 15th if the draft were tomorrow.
Here are some first round prospects that the Dolphins need to target.
True double coverage requiring number one receivers to free up Mike Wallace.
Amari Cooper Alabama (Heisman Runner Up)
Kevin White West Virginia
Devante Parker Louisville
Jaelan Strong Arizona State
Offensive Left Tackle so that Ju'Waun James can play his natural right tackle spot.
Ronnie Stanley Notre Dame
Offensive Lineman Right Tackle/Guard
La'el Collins LSU
Defensive End/OLB/Pass rusher extraordinaire
Shane Ray Missouri
Vic Beasley Clemson
Corner Back
P.J. Williams FSU
Running Back
Melvin Gordon Wisconsin (Heisman third place runner up)
Round Two.
Line Backers
Bernardrick McKinney Mississippi State
Denzel Perryman The U
Corner Backs
Trae Waynes Michigan State
Ronald Darby FSU
Alex Carter Stanford
Offensive Tackle
T.J Clemmings Pittsburgh
Ereck Flowers The U
Offensive Guard
Arie Kouandjio Alabama
Josue Matias FSU
Wide Receiver
Sammie Coates Auburn
Dorial Green-Beckham Oklahoma
BRING-ON APRIL, and fast !!
Miami Dolphins Swimming With The Current.
The Miami Dolphins played horrible host on opening day of the NFL's 2014 season! Their visitors. The New England Patriots had won ten straight season openers as the AFC East Divisional Champ in eleven of the last twelve seasons.
The Dolphins won. Hold-up. Wait.
The Dolphins won?
The Dolphins won.
THE MIAMI DOLPHINS WON!!!
YES! On this day your favorite team did all the roaring!
In forcing the Patriots opening series to go three and out, Rookie Chris McCain followed with a blocked punt giving the Dolphins a short field and an easy short TOUCHDOWN pass from Ryan Tannehill to running back Lamar Miller for an early tempo setting 7 - 0 lead.
Despite following up the great start with early first quarter injuries to starting linebackers (Ellerbe and Misi) over a three play stint which resulted in the Pats proceeding to pick at the already suspect position (for a period of time). With Miami's third starting linebacker Phillip Wheeler being declared as inactive before the game, the Dolphins were forced to play with two backup's and a defensive back at the LB position for much of the day.
Simultaneously. The offense was committing three turnovers in five first half possessions, (two fumbles via huge hits, and an interception). However. Your Miami Dolphins prevailed over the Daunting New England Patriots for a second consecutive head to head VICTORY!
Miami walked out of the tunnel after halftime down by a score of 20 - 10. They received the second halves opening kickoff and proceeded to score TWENTY-THREE UNANSWERED POINTS! Free Agent running back acquisition Knowshon Moreno led the way offensively with 134 yards on 24 carries including a bruising, game clinching four yard TOUCHDOWN run through a handful of defenders. The Fins accumulated 192 total rushing yards behind (five new offensive lineman, a first in NFL history)!
Ryan Tannehill went 18 of 32 for 178 passing yards with two TOUCHDOWN passes, ONE SACK, and one interception. Receiver Mike Wallace had 7 receptions for 81 yards and a TOUCHDOWN while failing to toe tap a beautiful second long touchdown reception. Running back Lamar Miller had 11 carries for 59 yards, and 4 receptions for 19 yards with a TOUCHDOWN, while having a rushing touchdown nullified due to a penalty.
Meanwhile, the Fins Defense shut down the 2nd half Patriots for approximately 57 net yards and ZERO POINTS in seven possessions! Miami's defense relentlessly poured on the heat with four second half sacks of Tom Brady. Cameron Wake led the way with two plantings of the quarterback to go with two Brady forced fumbles recovered by Miami's FA safety acquisition Louis Delmis, and Rookie DT Anthony Johnson. Rookie LB Chris McCain and Dolphin standout Olivier Vernon executed the other two setting downs of the great Tom Brady.
The New England Patriots wilted under the pressure of SIX (3 & outs), and TWO (4 and outs)!
For the defense it was like groundhog day, and the swarm never allowed the the QB to see his own shadow, let-alone his receivers.
On Offense while Miami marched up and down the field with relative ease! It was similar to the Good'Ole'Days with aggressive play calling at a blinding pace, and five to 15 yards gained, play, after play, after play. Also similar to the "Good'Ole'Days" was the announcers saying MORENO this, MORENO that for big gains and ""another Miami Dolphins first down"", time, after time, after time.
A similarly named HERO that goes by MORENO led the way while motivating an ENTIRE TEAM EFFORT!
Was it mentioned that your Miami Dolphins stomped the New England Patriots in a more impressive fashion than the THIRTY-THREE to TWENTY score might indicate?
Dolphins win, Dolphins win, DOLPHINS WIN!!
Thank You for an Open-Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view!!
STANDING OVATION, YEEEEEE HAAAAAAA, GIGGGGIITTTYYY, GO MIAMI DOLPHINS!!!
The Dolphins won. Hold-up. Wait.
The Dolphins won?
The Dolphins won.
THE MIAMI DOLPHINS WON!!!
YES! On this day your favorite team did all the roaring!
In forcing the Patriots opening series to go three and out, Rookie Chris McCain followed with a blocked punt giving the Dolphins a short field and an easy short TOUCHDOWN pass from Ryan Tannehill to running back Lamar Miller for an early tempo setting 7 - 0 lead.
Despite following up the great start with early first quarter injuries to starting linebackers (Ellerbe and Misi) over a three play stint which resulted in the Pats proceeding to pick at the already suspect position (for a period of time). With Miami's third starting linebacker Phillip Wheeler being declared as inactive before the game, the Dolphins were forced to play with two backup's and a defensive back at the LB position for much of the day.
Simultaneously. The offense was committing three turnovers in five first half possessions, (two fumbles via huge hits, and an interception). However. Your Miami Dolphins prevailed over the Daunting New England Patriots for a second consecutive head to head VICTORY!
Miami walked out of the tunnel after halftime down by a score of 20 - 10. They received the second halves opening kickoff and proceeded to score TWENTY-THREE UNANSWERED POINTS! Free Agent running back acquisition Knowshon Moreno led the way offensively with 134 yards on 24 carries including a bruising, game clinching four yard TOUCHDOWN run through a handful of defenders. The Fins accumulated 192 total rushing yards behind (five new offensive lineman, a first in NFL history)!
Ryan Tannehill went 18 of 32 for 178 passing yards with two TOUCHDOWN passes, ONE SACK, and one interception. Receiver Mike Wallace had 7 receptions for 81 yards and a TOUCHDOWN while failing to toe tap a beautiful second long touchdown reception. Running back Lamar Miller had 11 carries for 59 yards, and 4 receptions for 19 yards with a TOUCHDOWN, while having a rushing touchdown nullified due to a penalty.
Meanwhile, the Fins Defense shut down the 2nd half Patriots for approximately 57 net yards and ZERO POINTS in seven possessions! Miami's defense relentlessly poured on the heat with four second half sacks of Tom Brady. Cameron Wake led the way with two plantings of the quarterback to go with two Brady forced fumbles recovered by Miami's FA safety acquisition Louis Delmis, and Rookie DT Anthony Johnson. Rookie LB Chris McCain and Dolphin standout Olivier Vernon executed the other two setting downs of the great Tom Brady.
The New England Patriots wilted under the pressure of SIX (3 & outs), and TWO (4 and outs)!
For the defense it was like groundhog day, and the swarm never allowed the the QB to see his own shadow, let-alone his receivers.
On Offense while Miami marched up and down the field with relative ease! It was similar to the Good'Ole'Days with aggressive play calling at a blinding pace, and five to 15 yards gained, play, after play, after play. Also similar to the "Good'Ole'Days" was the announcers saying MORENO this, MORENO that for big gains and ""another Miami Dolphins first down"", time, after time, after time.
A similarly named HERO that goes by MORENO led the way while motivating an ENTIRE TEAM EFFORT!
Dolphins win, Dolphins win, DOLPHINS WIN!!
Thank You for an Open-Minded read, and we look forward to your angle of view!!
STANDING OVATION, YEEEEEE HAAAAAAA, GIGGGGIITTTYYY, GO MIAMI DOLPHINS!!!
The Dolphin's - Tom Brady Defense
Beating the Patriots is never easy with Belichick at the helm and Brady behind center, but Brady has a weakness and the Dolphins have exploited it in prior seasons. Brady is one of the hardest working QBs in professional football. He gains an edge over opponents by recognizing tendencies and understanding what to expect when he sees certain defensive alignments prior to the snap.
Coming out of college Brady’s athleticism was so gangly he dropped to the sixth round of the draft even after consistently showing the ability to come back and wins games at Michigan. The magic of Brady is in the pre-snap read and a clean pocket. He does not run around creating time with his feet or make off-balance throws dodging defenders. He methodically moves through a progression he has analyzed before the snap, while taking small precise steps to avoid pressure and maintain balance.
Brady is the most mechanically sound quarterback in the NFL. His balance and consistent arm motion are the keys to his accuracy. They are also the keys to defending him. When Brady does not play well it is because his pre-snap read has been disrupted and he is forced to throw from awkward arm angles. Easy to define perhaps, but much harder to perform when Belichick and Josh McDaniel know their own weakness.
There was a time when Rex Ryan was in consideration for reaching the status of “great NFL coach,” due to his ability to hold Belichick and Brady in check and playing in two consecutive AFC championship games. The distinction was short lived when Ryan's concept of the Amoeba Defense was diagnosed and defeated by Brady and the New England coaching staff. No self respecting Dolphin fan would ever consider stealing a page from Ryan’s playbook, but Joe Philbin and Kevin Coyle could take the concept to another level.
The Ryan defense consisted of several basic defensive packages disguised by players not coming set until seconds before the play clock expired. It was not long before Belichick realized using an up tempo no-huddle offense would catch the Jet defense out of position wandering in the Amoeba. The Jet defense was ineffective against a quick-snap offense and the Patriots also discovered they could add at least ten extra plays per game to their offense.
The Patriots then perfected the up tempo offense they currently run and the Jets sunk back into obscurity. The Ryan defense was too undisciplined and utilized too much random movement to function in the rapid succession of the Patriot offense. The idea is correct; Brady makes most of his decisions prior to the snap. Clouding his ability to recognize coverages and blitz packages forces Brady off his pre-snap read causing indecisiveness and hesitation. In those pivotal seconds the pass rush has the extra time to bring pressure.
The key for Miami is disciplined deception… Less drastic than an Amoeba approach, the idea is to combine the Amoeba concept with the zone blitz. By using movement and unusual positioning prior to the snap, then filling a predetermined zone or man coverage with the nearest player, the pre-snap read is negated. Notice the seemingly random positioning of the defenders in this example.
The defense looks almost random, but is actually aligned to quickly move to a designated zone or man coverage. In the next example, follow the sequencial movement at the snap, the arrows point to zone areas and the circles are man coverage responisibility.
The defense looks very convoluted in the initial picture but becomes a single high safety with safety help on the strong side and man coverage on the weak side. This is a cross between the Dick Labeau Zone Blitz defense and the Rex Ryan Amoeba defense.
The mistake that Rex Ryan made was to have players moving at the snap in random directions. The players in the example above are spaced at awkward intervals and have some freedom to vary those intervals, but they are essentially set at the snap. When players are moving they can be caught out of position and play can be dictated by the offense. In this scheme the defense dictates to the offense because the gaps are random and require the lineman to choose a player or a spot.
Notice how the offensive players most likely to be thrown quick passes are man covered and the defenders remain in their positions in both examples. The short passing game is defended but any attempt to work down the field will require the QB to allow the defense to rotate into position before being able to read the coverage. The extra second gives the pass rush time to bring pressure.
This is one example of how Tom Brady can be made to second guess his pre-snap read and take a little longer to deliver the football. Over the course of a game these situational additions to the defense can disrupt Brady into making bad decisions and cause turnovers.
Tom Brady and the Patriots are not going to be shutdown, but by frustrating Brady, altering his pre-snap read and getting pressure, the Dolphins can beat the Patriots and end the year on a very positive note. The illustrations were meant for example and by no means an attempt to oversimplify the task of beating Brady and the Patriots, but it can be done and the Dolphins are ready for the challenge.
Happy New Year Dolphin fans!
Coming out of college Brady’s athleticism was so gangly he dropped to the sixth round of the draft even after consistently showing the ability to come back and wins games at Michigan. The magic of Brady is in the pre-snap read and a clean pocket. He does not run around creating time with his feet or make off-balance throws dodging defenders. He methodically moves through a progression he has analyzed before the snap, while taking small precise steps to avoid pressure and maintain balance.
Brady is the most mechanically sound quarterback in the NFL. His balance and consistent arm motion are the keys to his accuracy. They are also the keys to defending him. When Brady does not play well it is because his pre-snap read has been disrupted and he is forced to throw from awkward arm angles. Easy to define perhaps, but much harder to perform when Belichick and Josh McDaniel know their own weakness.
There was a time when Rex Ryan was in consideration for reaching the status of “great NFL coach,” due to his ability to hold Belichick and Brady in check and playing in two consecutive AFC championship games. The distinction was short lived when Ryan's concept of the Amoeba Defense was diagnosed and defeated by Brady and the New England coaching staff. No self respecting Dolphin fan would ever consider stealing a page from Ryan’s playbook, but Joe Philbin and Kevin Coyle could take the concept to another level.
The Ryan defense consisted of several basic defensive packages disguised by players not coming set until seconds before the play clock expired. It was not long before Belichick realized using an up tempo no-huddle offense would catch the Jet defense out of position wandering in the Amoeba. The Jet defense was ineffective against a quick-snap offense and the Patriots also discovered they could add at least ten extra plays per game to their offense.
The Patriots then perfected the up tempo offense they currently run and the Jets sunk back into obscurity. The Ryan defense was too undisciplined and utilized too much random movement to function in the rapid succession of the Patriot offense. The idea is correct; Brady makes most of his decisions prior to the snap. Clouding his ability to recognize coverages and blitz packages forces Brady off his pre-snap read causing indecisiveness and hesitation. In those pivotal seconds the pass rush has the extra time to bring pressure.
The key for Miami is disciplined deception… Less drastic than an Amoeba approach, the idea is to combine the Amoeba concept with the zone blitz. By using movement and unusual positioning prior to the snap, then filling a predetermined zone or man coverage with the nearest player, the pre-snap read is negated. Notice the seemingly random positioning of the defenders in this example.
The defense looks almost random, but is actually aligned to quickly move to a designated zone or man coverage. In the next example, follow the sequencial movement at the snap, the arrows point to zone areas and the circles are man coverage responisibility.
The mistake that Rex Ryan made was to have players moving at the snap in random directions. The players in the example above are spaced at awkward intervals and have some freedom to vary those intervals, but they are essentially set at the snap. When players are moving they can be caught out of position and play can be dictated by the offense. In this scheme the defense dictates to the offense because the gaps are random and require the lineman to choose a player or a spot.
Notice how the offensive players most likely to be thrown quick passes are man covered and the defenders remain in their positions in both examples. The short passing game is defended but any attempt to work down the field will require the QB to allow the defense to rotate into position before being able to read the coverage. The extra second gives the pass rush time to bring pressure.
This is one example of how Tom Brady can be made to second guess his pre-snap read and take a little longer to deliver the football. Over the course of a game these situational additions to the defense can disrupt Brady into making bad decisions and cause turnovers.
Tom Brady and the Patriots are not going to be shutdown, but by frustrating Brady, altering his pre-snap read and getting pressure, the Dolphins can beat the Patriots and end the year on a very positive note. The illustrations were meant for example and by no means an attempt to oversimplify the task of beating Brady and the Patriots, but it can be done and the Dolphins are ready for the challenge.
Happy New Year Dolphin fans!
Analyzing The Miami Dolphins on First Down
Consider the following chart...
These are all the plays the Miami Dolphins ran on 1st down against the Seattle Seahawks broken down by the direction of the play, on runs and Ryan Tannehill's passing. The left 3rd of the chart are the runs to the left, center of the chart are the runs to right, and the right 3rd of the chart are passing situations.
Some interesting tendencies begin to develop when breaking down the Dolphins. The most glaring - Find the name Thomas on the chart.
Notice the direction Daniel Thomas runs on every first down carry... When Thomas is in the game on first down the Dolphins run to right side of the line, in every instance. Watching the game it is difficult to notice the subtle nuances in play calling, but teams have staffs of professionals combing data to find tendencies. Thomas running to the right on first down will clearly be highlighted in the New England Patriot film session.
Reggie Bush is a little more illusive.
Although there is a tendency, when the Dolphins run left on first down; they do it with Reggie bush. There is data missing that gives defenders even a little more ability to anticipate the offense. Formations and pulling linemen are huge keys for a linebacker.
Zach Thomas always seemed to be moving to the ball. Many times broadcasters spoke of Thomas's instincts, but there was much more going on with Thomas. He broke down offenses in different situations and was able to follow keys that led him to the ball carrier.
A pulling lineman cannot be disguised. A 300 pound man drawing back and running across the backfield has nowhere to hide. When Mike Pouncey got around the left side on Bush's 21 yard TD scamper, Zach Thomas may have been able to breakdown the film and be in position to stop the play.
What about the passing...
There were 14 situations where Ryan Tannehill passed on first down. Three of those opportunities were either a kneel down at the half or the two spikes on the final drive, those are greyed out on the chart and eliminated in the count. With those removed, Tannehill was successful on 6 of 11 first down passing attempts, 55%. Though the gains on successful throws were substantial, the average when considering the miscues was actually less than the running plays (see main chart) at 6.9 yards per attempt. For a comparison, Tom Brady had a similar completion percentage and his average yardage was equitable. The difference in the Patriot offense versus the Dolphins is, Miami passes 38% of the time on first down, while NE passes well over 50% of the time. The conclusion from the style of offense is, New England does not believe negative plays or incompletions, on first down, are detrimental to their offense.
The Patriots place no special relevance on first down.
This is what sets New England's offense apart from the rest of the NFL, except perhaps Denver, Green Bay and New Orleans. These teams have such great confidence in their QBs, first down is not a mystical must gain 5 yard down for the offense to be successful. The reason is simple, give Brady, Manning, Rodgers or Brees 3 chances to throw for 10 yards and they will make the play many more times than not.
This is where Miami is hoping to go, but also what Miami must defend against this week. The reality in the NFL is, when a team has a QB and offense capable of completing passes, even when the defense is playing the pass, there is little opponents can do to stop them once the train starts rolling.
Defeating New England on Sunday will not come on the predictable tendencies of Bush Left and Thomas right, it will come on the arm of Ryan Tannehill and a Miami offense that can make one throw in three further than ten yards.
To beat New England, Miami will have to score points and keep Tom Brady on the bench. With Bill Belichick on the opposing sideline, going against tendencies will be the key. Time for the rookie to open the door to the future.
There's is nothing to lose by being wide open. Playing to tendencies will surely lead to defeat...
May as well let it go Dolphins!
Some interesting tendencies begin to develop when breaking down the Dolphins. The most glaring - Find the name Thomas on the chart.
Reggie Bush is a little more illusive.
Zach Thomas always seemed to be moving to the ball. Many times broadcasters spoke of Thomas's instincts, but there was much more going on with Thomas. He broke down offenses in different situations and was able to follow keys that led him to the ball carrier.
A pulling lineman cannot be disguised. A 300 pound man drawing back and running across the backfield has nowhere to hide. When Mike Pouncey got around the left side on Bush's 21 yard TD scamper, Zach Thomas may have been able to breakdown the film and be in position to stop the play.
What about the passing...
The Patriots place no special relevance on first down.
This is what sets New England's offense apart from the rest of the NFL, except perhaps Denver, Green Bay and New Orleans. These teams have such great confidence in their QBs, first down is not a mystical must gain 5 yard down for the offense to be successful. The reason is simple, give Brady, Manning, Rodgers or Brees 3 chances to throw for 10 yards and they will make the play many more times than not.
This is where Miami is hoping to go, but also what Miami must defend against this week. The reality in the NFL is, when a team has a QB and offense capable of completing passes, even when the defense is playing the pass, there is little opponents can do to stop them once the train starts rolling.
Defeating New England on Sunday will not come on the predictable tendencies of Bush Left and Thomas right, it will come on the arm of Ryan Tannehill and a Miami offense that can make one throw in three further than ten yards.
To beat New England, Miami will have to score points and keep Tom Brady on the bench. With Bill Belichick on the opposing sideline, going against tendencies will be the key. Time for the rookie to open the door to the future.
There's is nothing to lose by being wide open. Playing to tendencies will surely lead to defeat...
May as well let it go Dolphins!
The Dolphins Versus the Patriots - The Good - The Bad - The Ugly
Beginning by working backward over the course of a week, the first of a three part series starts with the ugly…
There were many reasons to be disappointed in the Miami Dolphins loss to the New England Patriots on Monday night, but there were equal reasons for optimism. The Patriot offensive game plan to crank up the pace bewildered the Dolphin defense. The use of WRs disguised as TEs left the Dolphins incapable of responding.
The Miami game plan to rush only 3 or 4 and drop the rest into coverage gave Tom Brady enough time to exploit the Miami secondary at will. The lack of conditioning on the Dolphin side of the ball was evident. It is obvious; the Patriots spent the entire training camp in the hurry-up offense. Being in the same offense and in possession of the playbook also gave the Patriots a distinct advantage coming into this season.
When Steven Ross petitioned the NFL to eliminate one o’clock games in Miami, it’s doubtful he envisioned opening against the Patriots on Monday night. The Dolphins are the first among many teams that will have trouble with this NE offense. Belichick has taken a page from Shula or Dungy, by deciding to ride on the back of his QB, and see where it will take him.
It goes without saying the Patriot offense revolves around Tom Brady but this version has taken that to a new level. Using a two TE set as a base passing formation is a brilliant scheme. To the defense it looks like a running formation, it is not. Showing what looks like a run formation traps the defense in its base package and then the Patriots switch immediately to a hurry-up offense not allowing the defense to substitute.
The NE offense, pre-conditioned for the rapid-fire attack limited Miami's ability to substitute, and effectively ran the Dolphins ragged. Once the heat and exhaustion overcame Miami, Brady took advantage of reserves forced into action by the fatigued starters. When Bill Belichick has six months to game plan, there is certain to be a dazzling outcome. Miami was unfortunate in having the first glimpse at what will be keeping defensive coordinators around the league awake at night.
Miami was not prepared, but it is doubtful any team could have envisioned this offense prior to seeing it. For that reason, the Dolphin faithful should temper their criticism and realize the first game of the season was against the best offense in the NFL. Miami actually kept the game close until the very end and that leads to some reasons for optimism.
There were many reasons to be disappointed in the Miami Dolphins loss to the New England Patriots on Monday night, but there were equal reasons for optimism. The Patriot offensive game plan to crank up the pace bewildered the Dolphin defense. The use of WRs disguised as TEs left the Dolphins incapable of responding.
The Miami game plan to rush only 3 or 4 and drop the rest into coverage gave Tom Brady enough time to exploit the Miami secondary at will. The lack of conditioning on the Dolphin side of the ball was evident. It is obvious; the Patriots spent the entire training camp in the hurry-up offense. Being in the same offense and in possession of the playbook also gave the Patriots a distinct advantage coming into this season.
When Steven Ross petitioned the NFL to eliminate one o’clock games in Miami, it’s doubtful he envisioned opening against the Patriots on Monday night. The Dolphins are the first among many teams that will have trouble with this NE offense. Belichick has taken a page from Shula or Dungy, by deciding to ride on the back of his QB, and see where it will take him.
It goes without saying the Patriot offense revolves around Tom Brady but this version has taken that to a new level. Using a two TE set as a base passing formation is a brilliant scheme. To the defense it looks like a running formation, it is not. Showing what looks like a run formation traps the defense in its base package and then the Patriots switch immediately to a hurry-up offense not allowing the defense to substitute.
The NE offense, pre-conditioned for the rapid-fire attack limited Miami's ability to substitute, and effectively ran the Dolphins ragged. Once the heat and exhaustion overcame Miami, Brady took advantage of reserves forced into action by the fatigued starters. When Bill Belichick has six months to game plan, there is certain to be a dazzling outcome. Miami was unfortunate in having the first glimpse at what will be keeping defensive coordinators around the league awake at night.
Miami was not prepared, but it is doubtful any team could have envisioned this offense prior to seeing it. For that reason, the Dolphin faithful should temper their criticism and realize the first game of the season was against the best offense in the NFL. Miami actually kept the game close until the very end and that leads to some reasons for optimism.
Can the Miami Dolphins Beat the Patriots?
Shutting down the Patriot offense is a tall order and it begins by pressuring Tom Brady. Pressuring Brady does not come from the mad-dog blitzes most people relate to pressuring a QB. Rex Ryan may be a jackass, but he’s a hell-of-a defensive mind and there are lessons to learn from his Patriot’s game plan. Ryan, known for innovative blitzes, went against his tendencies.
Brady is a master at the pre-snap read; it’s what makes him a great QB. Brady can look at a defensive alignment, put a couple guys in motion and know exactly what match-ups are in his favor. If the play called in the huddle is bad, Brady will change it once he recognizes the defense. The trick to beating Brady is pre-snap confusion and Ryan figured it out.
We’ve heard the term “amoeba defense,” but what does it mean and how does it work? The amoeba defense is actually a gimmick. The defensive call is the same as it would be normally, but the defensive players start in different spots then where their assignments will be at the snap of the ball. A 2 deep is still a 2 deep, a 4 quarters is still a 4 quarters, a safety blitz is still a safety blitz.
What the amoeba does is mitigate the ability of the QB to get a pre-snap read. Think about Brady looking confused against the Jets in the playoffs. Brady is not a guy who is going to extend plays with his athletic ability. Brady’s game is based on reading defenses and getting the ball to the right guy. Take away the read and Brady is now, human. This is how to beat Tom Brady; once he hesitates, the pressure will get him.
The reason Bill Belichick signed Albert Haynesworth is to match-up with the power running game of the Jets and the Dolphins. He needed another big body in the middle with Vince Wilfork to clog the running lanes. Great plan for stopping the power running game but the Dolphins have other intentions and for once, they may be a step ahead of Belichick.
While the Patriots were planning for the Jets, the Dolphins set their sights on the Patriots. Dan Henning was perhaps the most predictable OC in the NFL. His attempt at being unpredictable was to run the wildcat. The wildcat was unusual in its debut, but once diagnosed; the inability to pass from the formation turned it into a joke.
Last year’s off-set “I” formation with 2 TEs telegraphing the run now is now a one back set with a single tight end. Last year’s static formations will now find Brandon Marshall in motion to the slot with Hartline on the same side. Did Hartline ever line up on the same side with Marshall last year?
If the Patriots double Marshall, they leave Hartline in single coverage. Bush will drop into the H-back slot behind the tackle, now we have match-up problems because a LB will have to cover Bush. These were situations the Patriots did not have to deal with when Henning was the OC, they will have to deal with them now. Consider, there is no mention of Davone Bess or Anthony Fasano...
Like anything in life, confidence is the difference between being average and being great. This is a team game and great teams have confidence in each other. The greatest coach in NFL history and two hall of fame QBs spoiled Miami. That legacy has placed an incredible burden on all the teams and players that have followed.
Tony Sparano has come to grips with this and Chad Henne has lived through the constant criticism. The feeling coming into this season is to believe in themselves, have the fire in their belly to put to rest the ghosts of the past. More than anything else, the Miami Dolphins have to believe they can win this game and it will propel them into a new legacy.
I believe the Dolphins will beat the Patriots!
Do you believe?
Brady is a master at the pre-snap read; it’s what makes him a great QB. Brady can look at a defensive alignment, put a couple guys in motion and know exactly what match-ups are in his favor. If the play called in the huddle is bad, Brady will change it once he recognizes the defense. The trick to beating Brady is pre-snap confusion and Ryan figured it out.
We’ve heard the term “amoeba defense,” but what does it mean and how does it work? The amoeba defense is actually a gimmick. The defensive call is the same as it would be normally, but the defensive players start in different spots then where their assignments will be at the snap of the ball. A 2 deep is still a 2 deep, a 4 quarters is still a 4 quarters, a safety blitz is still a safety blitz.
What the amoeba does is mitigate the ability of the QB to get a pre-snap read. Think about Brady looking confused against the Jets in the playoffs. Brady is not a guy who is going to extend plays with his athletic ability. Brady’s game is based on reading defenses and getting the ball to the right guy. Take away the read and Brady is now, human. This is how to beat Tom Brady; once he hesitates, the pressure will get him.
The reason Bill Belichick signed Albert Haynesworth is to match-up with the power running game of the Jets and the Dolphins. He needed another big body in the middle with Vince Wilfork to clog the running lanes. Great plan for stopping the power running game but the Dolphins have other intentions and for once, they may be a step ahead of Belichick.
While the Patriots were planning for the Jets, the Dolphins set their sights on the Patriots. Dan Henning was perhaps the most predictable OC in the NFL. His attempt at being unpredictable was to run the wildcat. The wildcat was unusual in its debut, but once diagnosed; the inability to pass from the formation turned it into a joke.
Last year’s off-set “I” formation with 2 TEs telegraphing the run now is now a one back set with a single tight end. Last year’s static formations will now find Brandon Marshall in motion to the slot with Hartline on the same side. Did Hartline ever line up on the same side with Marshall last year?
If the Patriots double Marshall, they leave Hartline in single coverage. Bush will drop into the H-back slot behind the tackle, now we have match-up problems because a LB will have to cover Bush. These were situations the Patriots did not have to deal with when Henning was the OC, they will have to deal with them now. Consider, there is no mention of Davone Bess or Anthony Fasano...
Like anything in life, confidence is the difference between being average and being great. This is a team game and great teams have confidence in each other. The greatest coach in NFL history and two hall of fame QBs spoiled Miami. That legacy has placed an incredible burden on all the teams and players that have followed.
Tony Sparano has come to grips with this and Chad Henne has lived through the constant criticism. The feeling coming into this season is to believe in themselves, have the fire in their belly to put to rest the ghosts of the past. More than anything else, the Miami Dolphins have to believe they can win this game and it will propel them into a new legacy.
I believe the Dolphins will beat the Patriots!
Do you believe?
The Miami Dolphins 2011 Schedule, a Tedious Chase to 9-7!!
Mannn, why is it that The Miami Dolphins schedule never seems easy, even as a third-place team??
Once again it appears on paper as though we'll likely be chasing 500. throughout the year..
Obviously, we're not aware of the possible all important intangible factors that might be in store for any of the Thirty-Two league teams including OUR MIAMI DOLPHINS!!
However, lets go-ahead and suggest and/or pretend that it all evens-out in the end..??
We start-out the 2011 season at Home on a Monday night September 12th with what would traditionally (before the season begins)appear to be an opening-day match up versus an extremely scary opponent referred to as the New England Patriots.. After what might be an ugly start to the season we then face somewhat less frightening games at home vs Houston and at Cleveland, followed by a tough trip to San Diego.. Then we have a bye to prepare for a nemeses-trip to the New York Jets violent atmosphere, previous to what appears as an easier one, tougher, tougher, easier, easier, tougher, easier, tougher, easier,(you get the jest of it),with an extremely tough final two at the Patriots and versus the Jets to close the season!!
Now trust me, I realize that there aren't any "easy" games on an NFL teams schedule, though in the manner I illustrated the schedule above was the simplest option of exhibiting the unlikeliness of our Dolphins going on a four, or five-plus game winning streak without the redundant mention of every team we play!!
From this observers point of view it doesn't seem to set-up well for a momentous stretch of victories, or losses, but more of a tedious chase of 500. in the pursuit of one game at a time while trying to win nine or ten in executing plays when rare opportunities present themselves!!
Beyond the norm of Road games with-in the division (NY week six Monday-night),(Buffalo in December week 15),(NE in December Christmas-Eve week 16)!! We also have extremely tough road match ups at San Diego week 4, NY Giants (Halloween)week 8, KC Chiefs week 9, and Dallas Cowboys(on Thanksgiving Day)week 12!! AGAIN we're supposed to get an easier schedule as a third-place team!! Does at Cleveland in week three as the only appearing to not be treacherous road game Qualify as an easy third-place road schedule?? I think not, I mean a road-game is one thing, a road-game on a Holiday versus premiere teams with-in the league provides an even more nightmarish scenario for a visiting teams potential victory!!
However,I'll make no-excuses, we have to beat those that are on our schedule that we're able to beat!!
Besides the norm of inner-division Home games on week one versus NE, week eleven vs Buffalo, and week 17 vs NYets on (New Years Day)!!
We get somewhat of a home schedule reprieve with only the Philadelphia Eagles in week fourteen being a ridiculously scary match up, which follows less intimidating Home games in week two vs Houston, seven Denver, ten Washington, and week 13 vs Oakland!!
Guess the schedulers didn't want us going 1 - 7 at Home, and/or 6 - 2 on the road??
Like I suggested, on paper!!
Our schedule ("a Tedious Chase of 9 - 7")doesn't look intimidating due to who we were(a 3rd place 2010 team), it would look intimidating for most ANY TEAM, other than possibly the elite, IMHO!!
I'm one of the belief that our New and Improved 2011 Miami Dolphins will execute a majority of the rare opportunities required to win the games they're supposed to win along with a defeat or two of the teams that are more than likely to beat us considering times and destinations!!
Minus knowing what all important intangibles will assist and/or befuddle each and every team!! This is how I'd suggest it all might turn-out!?!???
14 - 2 Patriots (division winner)
12 - 4 Steelers (division winner)
11 - 5 Ravens (fifth seed WC)
10 - 6 Chargers (division winner)
9 - 7 Colts (division winner)
9 - 7 DOLPHINS (Sixth-seed WC Tie-Breaker Scenario's Below??)
9 - 7 NYets ( head to head in week 6 at NY and week 17 in Miami)!!
9 - 7 Chiefs ( we play'em head to head in KC week 9 ) !!
9 - 7 Texans ( we play'em head to head in Miami week 2 )!!
7 - 9 Jags
7 - 9 Titans
6 - 10 Bills
6 - 10 Raiders
5 - 11 Broncos
5 - 11 Browns
3 - 13 Bengals
Miami Dolphins Schedule
THANK-YOU for an open-minded reading, and PLEASE give us your analogies and/or predictions!!
GO M I A M I D O L P H I N S !!!
Once again it appears on paper as though we'll likely be chasing 500. throughout the year..
Obviously, we're not aware of the possible all important intangible factors that might be in store for any of the Thirty-Two league teams including OUR MIAMI DOLPHINS!!
However, lets go-ahead and suggest and/or pretend that it all evens-out in the end..??
We start-out the 2011 season at Home on a Monday night September 12th with what would traditionally (before the season begins)appear to be an opening-day match up versus an extremely scary opponent referred to as the New England Patriots.. After what might be an ugly start to the season we then face somewhat less frightening games at home vs Houston and at Cleveland, followed by a tough trip to San Diego.. Then we have a bye to prepare for a nemeses-trip to the New York Jets violent atmosphere, previous to what appears as an easier one, tougher, tougher, easier, easier, tougher, easier, tougher, easier,(you get the jest of it),with an extremely tough final two at the Patriots and versus the Jets to close the season!!
Now trust me, I realize that there aren't any "easy" games on an NFL teams schedule, though in the manner I illustrated the schedule above was the simplest option of exhibiting the unlikeliness of our Dolphins going on a four, or five-plus game winning streak without the redundant mention of every team we play!!
From this observers point of view it doesn't seem to set-up well for a momentous stretch of victories, or losses, but more of a tedious chase of 500. in the pursuit of one game at a time while trying to win nine or ten in executing plays when rare opportunities present themselves!!
Beyond the norm of Road games with-in the division (NY week six Monday-night),(Buffalo in December week 15),(NE in December Christmas-Eve week 16)!! We also have extremely tough road match ups at San Diego week 4, NY Giants (Halloween)week 8, KC Chiefs week 9, and Dallas Cowboys(on Thanksgiving Day)week 12!! AGAIN we're supposed to get an easier schedule as a third-place team!! Does at Cleveland in week three as the only appearing to not be treacherous road game Qualify as an easy third-place road schedule?? I think not, I mean a road-game is one thing, a road-game on a Holiday versus premiere teams with-in the league provides an even more nightmarish scenario for a visiting teams potential victory!!
However,I'll make no-excuses, we have to beat those that are on our schedule that we're able to beat!!
Besides the norm of inner-division Home games on week one versus NE, week eleven vs Buffalo, and week 17 vs NYets on (New Years Day)!!
We get somewhat of a home schedule reprieve with only the Philadelphia Eagles in week fourteen being a ridiculously scary match up, which follows less intimidating Home games in week two vs Houston, seven Denver, ten Washington, and week 13 vs Oakland!!
Guess the schedulers didn't want us going 1 - 7 at Home, and/or 6 - 2 on the road??
Like I suggested, on paper!!
Our schedule ("a Tedious Chase of 9 - 7")doesn't look intimidating due to who we were(a 3rd place 2010 team), it would look intimidating for most ANY TEAM, other than possibly the elite, IMHO!!
I'm one of the belief that our New and Improved 2011 Miami Dolphins will execute a majority of the rare opportunities required to win the games they're supposed to win along with a defeat or two of the teams that are more than likely to beat us considering times and destinations!!
Minus knowing what all important intangibles will assist and/or befuddle each and every team!! This is how I'd suggest it all might turn-out!?!???
14 - 2 Patriots (division winner)
12 - 4 Steelers (division winner)
11 - 5 Ravens (fifth seed WC)
10 - 6 Chargers (division winner)
9 - 7 Colts (division winner)
9 - 7 DOLPHINS (Sixth-seed WC Tie-Breaker Scenario's Below??)
9 - 7 NYets ( head to head in week 6 at NY and week 17 in Miami)!!
9 - 7 Chiefs ( we play'em head to head in KC week 9 ) !!
9 - 7 Texans ( we play'em head to head in Miami week 2 )!!
7 - 9 Jags
7 - 9 Titans
6 - 10 Bills
6 - 10 Raiders
5 - 11 Broncos
5 - 11 Browns
3 - 13 Bengals
Miami Dolphins Schedule
THANK-YOU for an open-minded reading, and PLEASE give us your analogies and/or predictions!!
GO M I A M I D O L P H I N S !!!
Miami Dolphins Lose Embarrassing Game 38-7 Against Patriots
Well, the good thing that we got out of this game is that Chad Henne has finally been benched. Henne was only in the game long enough to throw one interception, but I am confident that if he kept playing he would have been able to throw a few more.
Today's game seems like a fitting end to a terrible season, and I am just glad it is over. Now we can look ahead to what coaching changes will happen during the off-season, and Miami can begin their quarterback search yet again.
I am a little surprised at how bad our defense did against New England, though. I didn't think our offense would do well, but I did think our defense would be pretty good. Apparently not, though, as they allowed New England to score 38 points and dominate the time of possession.
When Tyler Thigpen went in for Chad Henne he actually played pretty well. What impressed me most about Thigpen was his willingness to take risks. Unlike Henne, he actually threw the ball up there and let his receiver take a chance and go for the ball. He hasn't won the starting spot for next year yet, but I think he should be given a fair shot at it,
Miami's offensive line also played terrible, and they reinforced a lot of the things you guys have been saying with your comments in the past few weeks. The offensive line has some obvious flaws, and those flaws will need to be fixed during the off-season if the Dolphins want to be any good.
We can now say that the Miami Dolphins season is finally over. I know it was a frustrating one, but I see better things to come for the Dolphins in the future.
Hang in there guys, and I will talk to you tomorrow.
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Today's game seems like a fitting end to a terrible season, and I am just glad it is over. Now we can look ahead to what coaching changes will happen during the off-season, and Miami can begin their quarterback search yet again.
I am a little surprised at how bad our defense did against New England, though. I didn't think our offense would do well, but I did think our defense would be pretty good. Apparently not, though, as they allowed New England to score 38 points and dominate the time of possession.
When Tyler Thigpen went in for Chad Henne he actually played pretty well. What impressed me most about Thigpen was his willingness to take risks. Unlike Henne, he actually threw the ball up there and let his receiver take a chance and go for the ball. He hasn't won the starting spot for next year yet, but I think he should be given a fair shot at it,
Miami's offensive line also played terrible, and they reinforced a lot of the things you guys have been saying with your comments in the past few weeks. The offensive line has some obvious flaws, and those flaws will need to be fixed during the off-season if the Dolphins want to be any good.
We can now say that the Miami Dolphins season is finally over. I know it was a frustrating one, but I see better things to come for the Dolphins in the future.
Hang in there guys, and I will talk to you tomorrow.
Subscribe to DolphinShout
Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets: The Last Important Matchup For The Dolphins This Year
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| Please Dolphins, Stick It To This Man On Sunday |
Another season is nearing its conclusion for the Miami Dolphins. Instead of going to the playoffs, they are instead preparing for another long offseason. We can discuss the multitude of reasons for such a poor season, but the fact of the matter is that the Dolphins won't be in the playoffs.
I would rather that Miami tanks the rest of the season, honestly. Instead of winning for no reason, why not lose to get a better spot in the draft? They aren't going to do that, but they would be much better off if they did.
The only game that I want the Miami Dolphins to try and win this year is this week's game against the New York Jets. I would love nothing more than to shut Rex Ryan up once more. It would leave us with something good to remember from this season after almost everything else was a disappointment.
This week may be the best week to play the Jets, too.
They were just exposed badly on Monday night against the Patriots, and while the Dolphins aren't close to the Patriots anymore, at least we know they have a good shot against the Jets.
Mark Sanchez looked almost as bad as Chad Henne looked against the Browns, and if the Dolphins secondary is able to catch the ball they should have a chance at disrupting Sanchez like the Patriots did. The key will be stopping TE Dustin Keller. He ran all over the Dolphins earlier in the year, and Miami hasn't shown any improvement this year when it comes to covering tight ends.
This is purely hypothetical, but maybe Tony Sparano is starting Chad Henne for just this week's game because he wants to beat the Jets. While I do believe that Tyler Thigpen would be a better choice at starter right now, Henne knows the offense better than Thigpen, and he has experience playing against the Jets. I know this likely isn't Tony Sparano's motive for playing Henne, but I wish it were.
I would love nothing more than for the Dolphins to head into New York and stuff a loss in Rex Ryan's mouth. He has been relatively silent since the loss to the Patriots, so imagine how little he would talk if he lost to the Dolphins. He buried the game ball from the New England game, so he would probably have to blow up the game ball from this week's game if Miami wins.
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think about "tanking" the season.
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