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.

Miami loses a winnable game against the Giants.

MNF Miami Dolphins Versus New York Giants Post Game Analysis. By Tony Nicoletti


31 to 24 was the final score in the Giants favor.

What can I say? It was a mediocre game played by two mediocre teams that were both, 5 and 7. There was not much good that can be derived from this loss. The New York Giants had a little more incentive to win than the Dolphins, I guess. Of course, in a division where a 6 and 7 record has you in a three-way tie for the division lead. Yeah, they had something to play for. Miami is in the wrong eastern division to get breaks like that.

I'm not going to give you a blow by blow since it was a nationally televised, Monday night game. Besides, I really didn't get to watch the game much. (I saw glimpses of it during commercials while my brother in law was watching his usual, 3-hour Monday Night Raw Wrestling)! I'm going to offer my impressions from what I did see with a few statistics sprinkled in for good measure.

On the negative side; It appears that Odell Beckham got the better of his LSU Collegiate teammate and friend, (Jarvis Landry) on this afternoon. But not by much. Beckham Jr caught 7 passes for 166 yards, 2 TD's and his longest play was 84 yards for a TD.

Landry had an equally stellar game in a utilitarian way. He caught 11 passes for 99 yards, 0 TD's with a long play of 25 yards. Landry also contributed 66 yards on two kickoff returns and another 30 yards on a pair of punt returns. Still, I think Landry would rather have the win to go along with his stats.

The defense played stout for portions of the game but looked gassed near the end. You can't allow a veteran QB like Eli Manning any comfort zone or he will pick you apart. Especially with receivers like Odell Beckham. The Dolphins allowed several big plays to gash the defense. Manning was getting the ball out so fast that our pass rush seemed to always be a half step too late.

Miami's banged-up secondary did not challenge or disrupt the Giants receivers enough to break Manning's timing or rhythm. It proved to be the Dolphins downfall. Especially in the second half where Eli got 183 yards of his 337 total passing yards. He connected on 27 of 31 pass attempts, (an 87% completion rate) and 4 TD's. It's a wonder the Dolphins only lost by 7 points when your QB is racking up stats like that.

There were only a few positives to consider in this match up for Miami. If you want to call them positives?

For the second week in a row, Miami did not allow their opponent to rush for more than 100 yards. (92 yards on 32 carries for a 2.9-yard average and we had 5 stops for a loss totaling 13 yards). New York didn't get any negative yardage plays on our rushing attack which produced a solid 128 total yards on 22 attempts and a 5.8 yard per carry average. Miller had a good day rushing 12 times for 89 yards, 2 TD's and a long run of 38 yards for one score.

Ryan Tannehill played a decent game and was better utilized, adding 24 rushing yards on 4 carries with a long of 12 yards. He also rolled out and scrambled more to avoid the rush and to buy some time. He completed 25 of his 41 attempts, (60% completion rate) for 236 yards and a TD, with no interceptions. He also audibled out of a few plays that had successful outcomes. He spread the ball around well, too.

But it seemed that just about the time we needed Ryan Tannehill to step up and put the team on his shoulders, the offensive line would fail him and send him running for his life. He almost avoided the only sack in the game when he didn't quite make it back to the line of scrimmage on one play. He's still getting mauled in the back field and hit too much.

I think another week or two in this offensive game plan and this team will start putting points up on a more consistent basis. The defense is playing good enough to help us win, but we can't continue the offensive, "three and outs" which puts a tired defense back on the field.

Unfortunately, with only three games left to play, I think we can expect to see major changes for the Miami Dolphins in the off season. I like the play calling in this game which stretched and forced the Giants to defend the entire field of play. We did score 24 points which, in the NFL, is almost enough to win.

It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins finish the season and what kind of character they will show. Yes, they are definitely out of the playoffs but still have a lot to play for. The players and coaches are basically auditioning for jobs next year. Be it with the Dolphins, or some other team.

It is a disappointment for many of the Dolphin loyals to endure another mediocre season. But this is who the Dolphins are right now. It's been a growing experience since Ross bought this team. All we can hope for is that he has learned enough from his past mistakes to make the right decisions this time around.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I know I am a a homer and an eternal optomist where our beloved Dolphins are concerned. Have been for their entire 50 years of existernce. I just hope and pray that this storied franchise gets their act together and return to their former glory, real soon.


Thanks for your time in reading, and please tell us your side of this games story!

A SHOUT-OUT TO THE DOLPHIN SHOUT COMMUNITY!!

On an April 24th Saturday in the year 2010 a youthful 17 year old entrepreneur wrote an introductory post to his new Miami Dolphin Shout Community Blog site.

Paul Smythe. Our Host, Founder, Owner, Writer, Editor, Creator, Designer, and whatever else of Dolphin Shout opened with this on that initial Dolphin Shout day.

""I am obviously a huge Miami Dolphins fan. I love football in general, and I want to write about it as much as I can.""

Six or so weeks later on June 4th, 2010 one of the Shouts first followers Gary (RiverdoG) Cowell was recruited by Paul to write his first article. The title was. My First Post: Don't Worry Miami Dolphins Fans, Jason Taylor Is Replaceable.

""He was always a liability in the running game. Most of the time he was so intent to get his sacks he took himself out the play and face it his coverage skills were well, lets just say not very good.""

""Yea, yea I know I'm going to take some heat on this, I understand I'm taking on what most fans feel is an icon for the Dolphins. So it's not going to be popular.""

Say What? How Dare You!

In the Shouts (About Us) section the doG wrote.
""What you will get from me on Paul's site is a bit different from many others, and you may not agree with what I say. You may even question if I am a "true Dolphin fan" as I have heard that many times before. I can assure you that I am a Dolphin fan no matter what you may think. So sit back, buckle up, and enjoy. It could be a bumpy ride...""

Gary/RiverdoG's self proclaimed unpopular thought process made him the Shouts driving force as attendance began to soar to read and respond to the most wisely approachable, popular enigma, and Dolphin Shout Hero. Boy did he ever have it right with that last thought! ""It could be a bumpy ride"" Upon the ending of a much too exciting Miami Dolphin Victory over the New England Patriots on December 15th 2013, Our Beloved doG was called upon to do good deeds elsewhere, but he will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!


Previous to the worlds loss!
In July of 2011 Paul asked Gary to recruit some writing for the Shout prospects. In being associated with through other blogging sites over the previous handful of years the doG brought home Patrick and myself.

In the Shouts (About Us) tab. Patrick wrote some stuff that I personally found very amusing.

""I grew up in a small town near Carlisle Pennsylvania, my brother and I used to ride our bikes to the Washington Redskins training camp at the war college. One day while sitting in the stands the coach of the Redskins walked up, he said hello and talked with us for a bit, his name was Vince Lombardi…

My three brothers and I never liked to root for the same team, it wasn’t as much fun, so when they all stayed in the NFC East choosing the Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys I had to select either the Giants or the Cardinals (at the time) neither was very appealing to me, so I selected this start up team in Miami, the Dolphins.

As fate would have it, a few years later my dad got a job in Fort Lauderdale and we moved to Florida. The year was 1972 and I got to witness the undefeated season, going to many of the games with my father who had taken a liking to Don Shula. I have been in Florida ever since, now living on the west coast.

Some folks might say I’m obsessed with the Dolphins, I prefer the word passion. Just because I pace around the room, yell at the TV using language better fit for a brothel and call every official a flaming idiot does not mean I’m obsessive! I prefer to call it passion…

Hopefully I can bring some of that passion to the readers of Dolphin Shout!""

And he's killed-it with every article he's ever written!


On December 5th of 2012 Paul brought Shawn Carlson and Todd Bartley aboard, and in 2014 Tony Nicoletti started writing his take for The Dolphin Shout Community.

Numerous others have come and gone (John Bleech, Richard Anderson, James Tieman, Jeff Brennan, and Mike Ferguson) have all assisted greatly with their contributions.

Five plus years, and 1250 articles later Dolphin Shout is still a favored community of intelligently civilized Miami Dolphin fan contributors that drive the site. Too many to mention as it would be an injustice to all in forgetting to mention any one single name! So, Let It Be Known that every one of you is a force that drives us toward the success of Dolphin Shout, and that you are greatly appreciated within the community as well as beyond our time here together!


Back to the reasoning for this particular piece.
In the midst of that initial Dolphin Shout introductory post, our host Paul included.
""I am into more than just football, though. I am pursuing degrees in Real Estate and Marketing. I am also planning on obtaining my Masters in Real Estate Development.""

Our youthful entrepreneur Paul Smythe Graduated College this past Friday!
CONGRATULATIONS Paul, and good luck to you in all your future endeavors!
THANK YOU for all the good times and great people that your initial vision of Dolphin Shout has provided us over the years!

Here's to all for five more years on a less bumpy, and more joyous ride!

THANK YOU ALL for your Open-Minded Reads and contributions over the duration,
(as always) we look forward to your angles of view : )) !!

GOFINS!!!

To Keep, or Not to Keep?

Ladies and Gentlemen. We bring you deep passages from the memoirs of Tony Nicoletti.


I noticed that there was some discussion after my last blog, (Fear Not Dolphin Fans. The Miami Dolphins Will Rise Again!) regarding all the quality players that Joe Philbin has let go of, during his first few years with the Miami Dolphins. While none of us necessarily agree with all the moves that were made, you do have to give him credit for being decisive and holding to a specific vision of what he is trying to accomplish in Miami.

Who's to to say that Joe Philbins, (previous GM, Jeff Ireland) or current GM Dennis Hickey's personnel decisions were bad moves. Especially, those that involved players who were a cancer to the team. Being the new head coach with the Dolphins, Joe Philbin inherited a bunch of leftovers from the, "Tony Sparano" era in 2012. The wholesale housecleaning was going to have to be done sooner or later. Fortunately, it happened sooner.

A change of scenery can be a wake up call for marginal players and some of them wisely, got their act together for their new ball clubs. Their new Coaches/GM's knew of what kind of baggage they were getting with these players. It was already determined that their skill set is needed and welcomed, despite some of their negative traits. However, specific ground rules and incentives are put in place to encourage these players to make the best of their new opportunity, thus taking some of the gamble out of recruiting them. And many of these players also came to realize that this is or may be their last chance and if they screw up they could very will be out of the NFL, altogether. That is why it is not uncommon for these players to prosper with their new team.

We all know that there will always be, "divas" and, "me first" type players in the game. It's part of their competitive nature. I believe the better coaches find ways to incorporate these talented yet, troublesome players into their game plan. They have the ability to determine if the gifts, talents and upside these players bring to the table are worth being patient and working around their eccentricities.

Trouble makers, questionable character on and off the field and all the things that undermine and detract from the goals that a coach is trying to establish with his team, can not be tolerated. And unfortunately, when a coach first takes over a franchise, these are things that he has to assess and weed out quickly. In many instances, he doesn't have the time to sit down with each and every player to make that determination. Especially during the off season when he is trying to familiarize himself with his new surroundings, assemble a coaching staff and get every one on the same page. And then there is the fact that they may have as many as 90+ players at some point, all trying out for the team.

An astute coach can ascertain whether divas are for real or just full of themselves. If they are being selfish in their demands to be a bigger part of the game plan or if there is a possibility they really can contribute more, (if given the chance). They can also tell if it is frustration that causes a player to complain and act out in ways that are unbecoming to a team, and when it is necessary to discipline them or just let them blow off some steam.

Case in point: Mike Wallace.

He is not so much the diva that many top wide receivers are. He tries to put on airs that he is a team player. He has a good work ethic and no, "off the field" issues. He hasn't been as spectacular catching the deep ball as he was with the Steelers. (Catching only about 25% of the long passes that were thrown his way last season). He is not known for being a receiver that will go up and fight for the ball. (Although in 2014, he has shown that he is willing to be aggressive and fight for extra yardage after the catch). It's not certain what really took place in that final game when he was benched in the second half because he supposedly, quit on the team.

To Wallace's credit, he's been successful in his new role and has contributed greatly to this offense. He has demonstrated a willingness to adapt and has proven that he is not just a one trick pony, only capable of using his speed to get down the field to catch balls. But is his performance worth all those millions? His production certainly cannot easily be replaced, on the cheap. And Miami does need to recoup some cap space to bring in some free agent help. (Which makes him a potential target, being the highest paid player on the Dolphin roster). Of course, all of this may be a moot issue if Joe Philbin decides to let him go because of his disenchantment with how he is being utilized and occasional complaints to that end.

If Philbin and Hickey decide not to keep him, a trade is not likely to happen since his contract will come at too high a price for even the most desperate of teams to pick up. Chances are, Miami would wind up having to eat a big chunk of change and dead cap money if they let him go. But one has to wonder if he, (and players like Jared Odrick, who has also let his feelings be known as well) will be on the roster this season.

But as coach Philbin's tenure moves forward and hopefully, draws closer to molding the team into what he feels will be a competitive ball club, an occasion may arise where he has to make a tough decision on a difficult player, again. To summarily dismiss good, talented players is a waste of resources. Especially with a seasoned coach. It's one thing to draw the line and set an example for the rest of the team as to what will be acceptable behavior. But over time, these problems should diminish as the front office, coaching staff and players become better aware of what type of personnel and atmosphere he is trying to cultivate. I would like to think a coach should evolve enough to learn from his past mistakes with the many players that have come and gone.

It's easy in hindsight, to say that Philbin never should have let go of this or that player because they are now model citizens with their new team and/or went on to become great players. We should actually be happy for these reformed players. I mean, isn't it better to know that the players that were given a chance on the Dolphin roster at any given time, did have the potential to eventually play for another franchise? What would it say about the Dolphin recruiting department if a majority of it's choices were found to be unsuitable and could not make it in the NFL at all?

Selecting football players is a crap shoot. Sometimes a team has to sift through some crap to find a jewel and this Miami Dolphin's front office and coaching staff have uncovered a number of gems over the years. Players that do not necessarily fit the typical physical tangibles that are usually associated with a given position. They may lack size or speed but their willingness to work hard, study and prepare, more than compensates for any deficiencies they may have. (Charles Clay comes to mind). He is not the big bodied Tight End target that all coaches covet, but still manages to win his match ups and when healthy, is a defensive coordinators nightmare.

The Dolphins are not opposed to beating the bushes to find players through unconventional means. Cameron Wake, whom we acquired from the CFL is one such example. We have several players from small, obscure colleges that have shown tremendous promise and upside. Like Walt Aikens and Terrence Fede. And let's not forget the injured players that came to the Dolphins whom have become important fixtures on this team. We took a chance on Brent Grimes who was recovering from a serious injury, and on an injury prone Brandon Albert. Both of them are excellent players. (Hopefully, Albert will be again, after his return from major knee surgery).

So you see, Coaches and General Managers are constantly taking chances and gambling with players. Forever searching for the right personnel to fit their schemes, attitude and team identity. Every franchise has allowed a fair share of talented players to slip through their grasp. It is futile for head coaches and general managers to lament and second guess their decisions when they let these players go. All they can do is learn form their experiences, forge ahead and continue their quest to build the best roster they can. It's the nature of the game and how dynasties are made.

As fans, we don't get to see what is actually going on behind closed doors. We only see players come and go. Some of whom, do well with other teams. (Which can be a little puzzling and disconcerting). Rest assured, there are reasons why teams lets go of what appear to be, "good players".

There are instances where some teams have no choice. Cap space limitations or positions that they are well stocked in, force them to release these surplus players so they can free up roster and cap space to pursue other players that they need. Perhaps a new coach or coaching staff has been brought in with a different system which may require them to cut players that do not fit or cannot adapt to these new systems and schemes. It doesn't always mean that these free agents are flawed in some way and unworthy of a roster spot with their previous team.. You need to make room to bring in and develop new players. Sometimes it means getting rid of decent players, as well.

As I write this blog today, I am relieved to see an article claiming that Mike Wallace has been able to sit down with Dennis Hickey to discuss his future with the team. I'm glad that they are trying to work out their differences. I also saw a story about Jared Odrick. The Dolphins have approached him to negotiate a new contract to avoid losing him to free agency.

Could it be that Joe Philbin has finally reached the point in his coaching career with the Dolphins, where he is able and willing to deal with outspoken, problematic players instead of arbitrarily sending them down the road? It's about time.This is definitely a step in the right direction. I'm hoping the Miami Dolphins are able free up the cap space to secure the free agent/draft picks they need to make a push for the playoffs in 2015.

Only then can the question be answered: To Keep, or Not to Keep. Lets hope Joe Philbin and company are keepers!

Go Dolphins!

Fear Not Dolphin Fans. The Miami Dolphins Will Rise Again!

Another Fine Piece Thanks To Tony Nicoletti!


All this talk of mediocrity. About how the Dolphins are doomed, and not going anywhere. That they don't have the cap space to buy what they need in free agency. (Much less the draft positioning to get the impact players that will help them reach the playoffs). To all the naysayers out there I say....nonsense!

These Dolphins are in better position to make a push for the playoffs than they have been in 6 years. Yes, they need to recoup cap space by eliminating some of the dead weight. (But doesn't every team have that problem each year)? Dennis Hickey has done a good job with some of his free agency and draft picks. A second year will only get this franchise closer to building a team that will fit what Joe Philbin and company, are trying to field in Miami.

Bringing Mike Tannenbaum on board, (who some claim was instrumental in the Jets having back to back playoff seasons) should benefit this club as he will be able to offer his insight and expertise. Dawn Apointe has been shrewdly and successfully handling the contract negotiations for a number of years in Miami. With their help, Hickey should be able to procure the right personnel to guarantee this Dolphins team is playoff bound. It's a make or break season so everyone is going to have to work in concert to that end.

Miami has a 1,000 yard running back, (Lamar Miller) who's average yardage per attempt helped Miami become the second highest in the league. with a 4.7 yards per running attempt. Not bad when you consider Miami was predominantly a passing team. Miller was also running solo, without a lot of help from a, "change of pace" running back to spell him. And while the offensive line started to go downhill in week 9 when Branden Albert sustained a season ending injury, (allowing 46 sacks) they still managed to do enough to open up some running lanes.

The Dolphins had 3 players in the Pro Bowl. Cameron Wake, Brent Grimes and Mike Pouncey. All of which are healthy and will be back for 2015. There are a host of other players on this roster that could easily be starters for any team in the NFL. There were also some surprise first and second year players that showed considerable promise and upside for the coming year.

Unlike the beginning of the 2014 season Miami will not have to devote most of their resources to the entire offensive line. A starting guard or two and depth is all that is needed. Albert is ahead of schedule with his recovery and barring any unforeseen setbacks, could be available by the start of the first regular season game. The Dolphin offensive line was trending upward before Albert's injury. If Miami finds a serviceable guard and allows everyone to shuffle back to their regular positions, there is no telling how good their running and passing game will be.

This Dolphin team had a top 5 defense for three quarters of the season, before injuries and fatigue set in. Getting a few players healthy and a couple of key acquisitions will help shore up that side of the ball and make this team stingier in 2015. A run stuffing Linebacker, ball hawking Corner Back and Safety will certainly further their cause. The Dolphins could also use a big bodied Nose Tackle to draw double teams so the pass rushing duo of Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon can do their thing. And would someone please find a way to successfully integrate Dion Jordan's unique skill set into the lineup.

The Dolphins have the highest price group of receivers in the NFL with a diverse mix of talent. If Miami trims the fat and brings in a big red zone target and/or a speedy receiver, our success inside the 20 and on third down conversions will improve. With better pass protection Ryan Tannehill might have enough time to let plays develop down field so he can finally start connecting on his deep passes. It showed signs of coming around near the end of the season. (Though he fell victim to several dropped balls that should have been caught).

Speaking of which, the biggest reason Miami will fare better in 2015 comes from the fact that they have resolved a problem that has plagued them for more than 15 years. They finally have a quarterback they can build an offense around. I know plenty of you will scoff at the idea that Ryan Tannehill could be a franchise quarterback. Many of you think he is at best, average and that there are other quarterbacks, (especially from his 2012 draft class) that are better. I'll admit, there are other young quarterbacks that have actually brought their teams to the playoffs and have won more games. But all of them are with teams that have had more tools and talent than Ryan has had to work with.

I won't bore you will all the statistics that show just how much Tannehill has progressed in his third year. He was only 64 yards away from breaking into the top ten quarterbacks last season. And who was just ahead of him in total passing yards? The quarterback that won the Super Bowl, Tom Brady. The only signal caller that came from the 2012 quarterback draft bonanza that made the top 10 list was Andrew Luck, and (the last time Miami played the Indianapolis Colts, they beat them). Only the Detroit Lion's Mathew Stafford has been sack nearly as many times as Ryan Tannehill. (45 Sacks versus 46). All the other top 10 quarterbacks were sacked at least, 10 fewer times than Tannehill.

The fact is, I don't think you will find another quarterback that has been sacked more than Ryan Tannehill over the last two seasons. Yet, he managed to throw for more than 4,000 yards, with a completion percentage that only 3 quarterbacks in the top 10 list surpassed. That is one tough, accurate passer that performs well under pressure. He also happened to be the 5th best rushing quarterback, too. This makes him a dual threat with athletic skills that few field generals can match.

And when you think about it, Tannehill's total passing yardage were a bit skewed as he didn't really start to show much improvement until the fourth game of the season against the Oakland Raiders. (A game where he was well on his way to 300 yards passing, were it not for Joe Philbin wisely pulling him out when the win was secured). There were also a couple of other contests where he wound up coasting late in the game because they had built up an insurmountable lead. (A Miami Dolphin team that runs the score up on it's opponent)?

After being with the same Offensive Coordinator/Coach for 5 years, it only took the preseason, and 3 regular season games for Ryan to start getting comfortable with the new offensive that Bill Lazor installed. That tells you how intelligent he is and how willing he was to work harder to make this new system productive. You have to believe that a second year under Lazor's tutelage is where Ryan Tannehill is really going to make the biggest strides in all facets of his game.

2014 was a, "getting acquainted" season for Bill Lazor and the Miami Dolphin players. Now that he has a better idea of what talents and abilities he has to work with, he will be able to utilize these skill sets to put this offense in a position to score and win games. This offense has already impressed under his reign. (Tannehill threw more pass completions than any quarterback in franchise history, last season). Rookie Jarvis Landry has made a huge contribution as a slot receiver in his first year, which is unheard of for a rookie. And Miami hasn't had a 1,000 yard Running Back since Ricky Williams. The last time the Dolphins scored 392 points in a single season was in 1995.

I believe this Miami Dolphins team is only a few players shy of reaching the playoffs in 2015. If they have a free agency and draft similar to last years, there is no reason not to think that they can reach the post season for the first time in 7 years.

Go Dolphins!

Sorry Dolphin Fans, But Rex Ryan Did It To Us Again!

A season finale Dolphins versus Jets Post Game Courtesy of Tony Nicoletti.


It seems Coach Ryan had to offer a parting gift to his team in their 37 to 24 defeat of the Miami Dolphins. Old Ryan sure made Geno Smith look like the best kept, "big play" secret of the season. He had career stats with his 20 of 25 completions, 358 passing yards and 3 touch down effort. His primary receiver, Eric Decker had 10 receptions for 221 yards. (The most ever allowed by a Dolphin's defense to any receiver in a game).

Ryan most assuredly will not be back with the Jets in 2015 but he sure made a statement for Geno Smith to be seriously considered for another season. Mr Ryan will be pursuing his options with another NFL Franchise. Thank God he will not be in our division anymore. (I hope).

This victory did not happen the way some might have thought, though. Miami held New York's high powered running game to a net of 104 yards on 34 carries and a 3.1 yard average. The Dolphins actually stopped 7 of their runs for minus 12 yards in the process. But who could have known that the Jets 32nd ranked passing offense would have such success against Miami's 4th ranked pass defense. (Any more than the Dolphins 14th ranked running game would shred the 5th best run defense in the NFL for 178 yards on 20 carries for a 9.0 yard average).

Yes, we wanted to finish the season with a 9 and 7 record,but as the saying goes, "two out of three, ain't bad". We were all hoping that Ryan Tannehill would reach the 4,000 plateau in passing yards and for Lamar Miller to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Both marks were achieved. Tannehill just barely got his goal and Miller almost finished with 1,100 rushing yards. Ryan Tannehill also surpassed Dan Marino's single season completion record. This was the first time in team history that the Dolphins had a 4,000 yard quarterback and a 1,000 yard running back in the same season.

The only thing that would have made these accomplishments even sweeter is if Mike Wallace could have gotten 130+ receiving yards to wind up with a 1,000 yards for the season as well, while contributing toward a potential Dolphin final game victory. He did not catch a pass all game long and for some reason, wound up sitting on the sidelines the entire second half.

Both teams started out with a 3 and out, but not before sacking each others quarterback once during their first possessions. The only difference being that Miami would not sack Geno Smith for the remainder of the game. The Jets however, added 6 more sacks, (particularly, late in the game) which ruined Ryan Tannehill's completion percentage. (And any chance of him leading a comeback). Tannehill was sacked 7 times for a staggering 51 yards of lost real estate. He was hurried and hit often too. It's a wonder he did not throw an interception, though he did get a strip sack late in the game which resulted in a Jets recovered fumble.

Miami started the scoring first on their second possession with a 37 yard field goal, after the Jets missed a 45 yard attempt that bounced off the goal post.

Score: Dolphins 3, the Jets 0.

The Jets rolled down the field for their first touchdown. It took all of 6 plays. Geno Smith highlighted C. Owusu's multiple talents with a 36 yard deep pass, followed by Owusu's 23 yard run for the score.

Score: Dolphins 3, the Jets 7.

Miami went 6 and out. (L. Miller had a nice 20 yard run and was setting the stage for better things to come).

A couple of minutes into the second quarter,Miami would get the game's first turn over as Reshad Jones tackles Geno Smith after a 2 yard scramble and forces the fumble which was recovered by Jason Trunsik on the Jets 21 yard line. Tannehill hits Charles Clay for 16 yards and on a 3rd and 1, Daniel Thomas goes in for the touch down.

Score: Dolphins 10, Jets 7.

The Jets start their next drive on their 21 yard line. Smith connects on passes of 17, 40 and 8 yards to take the lead on 7 plays.

Score: Dolphins 10, Jets 14.

Miami squanders it's next opportunity as Mike Wallace gets a false start penalty on 1st down, Daryn Colledge has a offensive holding penalty on 2nd down and Miami commits an illegal shift penalty on 3rd down. The Jets decline the last penalty since the Dolphins came up short of the 1st down, anyway.

Now New York starts on their own 31 yard line, but on 2nd and 7 Cameron Wake gets a questionable roughing the passer penalty. Ultimately, their drive stalls and they punt it, pinning Miami deep on their own 7 yard line.

At the 2 minute warning, Tannehill gets sack on the 50 yard line, but gets back up and hits Brian Hartline deep for 16 yards.Several good pass plays later he throws a 23 yard touch down strike to Charles Clay.

Score: Dolphins 17, Jets 14 at the half.

The Jets get the ball first in the 3rd quarter and runs the kick off from their 1 yard line, 87 yards to the Dolphin 12 yard line. Miami holds them on 3rd and 4th down needing 1 yard to score and get the ball back on their 3 yard line. It was a nice defensive stop.

Miami returns the big play favor on 1st down with a Lamar Miller 97 yard running play for the score. The 3rd longest running play from scrimmage in NFL history and the longest in Dolphin franchise history.

Score: Dolphins 24, Jets 14.

But wait! The big plays aren't over yet. On 3rd down with 4 yards to go on their own 26 yard line, Geno Smith heaves a 74 yard scoring pass to a (wide open) Eric Decker

Score: Dolphins 24, Jets 21.

On Miami's next possession Tannehill connects with a 33 yard pass to Brian Hartline, driving down to the Jets 41 yard line. On 3rd and 10 Ryan throws an incomplete pass to Brandon Gibson who is called for offensive pass interference which the Jets of course, decline. However, on the ensuing punt the Jets are caught with 12 men on the field which advances the ball down to their 36 yard line. Now Miami faces a 4th and 5 situation. They decide to go for it, but the pass attempt to Jarvis Landry is incomplete and the Jets take over on downs. A gutsy call.

On a 3rd and 9 play Geno completes a 50 yard reception to Eric Decker. Brent Grimes jumps between the receiver and the ball for the interception but Decker jumps for it too, bumping Grimes out of the away in mid air, to haul in the reception. Miami manages to hold them to a field goal.

Score: Dolphins 24, Jets 24.

With the score tied Miami goes 4 and out.

The Jets get the ball back but must start from their 17 yard line due to a offensive holding penalty. On 1st down Smiths throws to J. Kerley for 33 yards. After several more completions, the Jets drive stalls on Miami's 5 yard line and they settle for a field goal just as the 4th quarter gets under way. During the drive, both Koa Misi and Eric Decker would sustain injuries that would take them out for the remainder of the contest.

Score: Dolphins 24, Jets 27.

Miami drives down into field goal range, helped by a 17 yard pass play to Jarvis Landry. Caleb Sturgis misses the 53 yard attempt.

The Jets however, go 3 and out.

On the Dolphins subsequent drive Tannehill gets sacked on 2nd and 4 on their own 26. But on 3rd and 12 he finds Hartline for 14 yards to keep the drive alive. Tannehill gets sacked once again on 2nd and 10. They are also penalized for an illegal formation which the Jets decline so they can get the ball back.

With 5:46 left in the 4th quarter the Jets have the ball on their own 26 yard line. On 4th and 12 they line up in punt formation. However, R. Quigley fakes the punt and throw to an (uncovered) Z. Sudifeld for 39 yards to continue the drive. Jarvis Landry saves the touch down by getting an open field tackle of Sudifeld on Miami's 23 yard line. Even one of the announcers stated that we should watch out for the fake since it has been in the Jets arsenal for many years, but...

I believe the damage was done at this point as the successful fake punt for the first down swayed the momentum in New York's favor. On the very next play Geno tosses a 23 yard touch down pass to a (wide open) J. Cumberland. Olivier Vernon gets a neutral zone infraction which is enforced between downs.

Score: Dolphins 24, Jets 34.

Miami gets the ball back with 3:22 to play on their 25 yard line. (After Jarvis Landry runs it out from -9 yards in the end zone for 34 yards). Tannehill promptly gets sacked on 1st and 2nd down. On 4th and 16 Tannehill's pass to Brandon Gibson falls short but the Jets are called for roughing the passer. (With Miami being 10 points behind this late in the game, the Jets can afford to bring the house against Ryan Tannehill and he is taking a pounding in the process).

On 2nd and 10, New York sacks Tannehill and forces a fumble which they recover on Miami's 22 yard line. The Jets run 3 meaningless plays and kick a 37 yard field goal to seal the victory.

Score: Dolphins 24, Jets 37.

With 31 seconds left in regulation Tannehill completes one last play to Jarvis Landry but it's, "game over".

Most of the statistics were unremarkable in this game for the Dolphins. There where some points in the game where they played well and others where they seemed to be over matched and confused. The Miami Dolphins are a mediocre, 8 and 8 ball club that wound up splitting their games within the division this year. There is a lot of room for improvement. Having their staff intact for next season, will hopefully address the issues that need correcting. But that will be a blog for another time.

The good thing in all of this, (besides Tannehill and Miller achieving their milestones and setting team records) is that we will not have Rex Ryan opposing us on the sidelines twice a year anymore. As a matter of fact, I would just assume he gets a gig on the NFC side the NFL for a while.

Will This Be a Repeat of Last Season's Final Show Down Versus the Jets?

A Dolphins Versus Jets Pre-Game Piece via Tony Nicoletti.

Here we go again. The Miami Dolphins have one last chance to close out at home with a win to finish the season at 9 and 7. This time against our bitter rivals, the New York Jets. Unlike the final game of the 2013 season where they denied us a chance to make the playoffs, this time the stage is set completely different. We won't be playing in January. The only stakes riding on this contest are pride and bragging rights to a season sweep.

The Dolphins were 7 point favorites in their week 13 trip to New Jersey. Strangely enough, the current odds makers have them at -5.5 in Miami. Not much has changed in the last four weeks except that the Dolphin defense has slipped from 5th overall to 8th
while the Jets have moved up from 7th to 6th in the league.

The Jets gave the New England Patriots a tough battle last week at MetLife Stadium but lost in the end by a score of 17 to 16. They still have a top five defense against the run, (though we seemed to have had good results on the ground in our earlier meeting). Offensively, New York has the 3rd best running attack in the league yet remain the worst team in the NFL at passing the ball.

Defensively, Miami has made some marginal improvements versus the run in the last couple of weeks. They didn't get gashed for 200+ yards by New England or Minnesota. I hope it doesn't take DC Kevin Coyle two full quarters to stack the box if New York tries their ground and pound philosophy again. As before, forcing Geno Smith, (or Michael Vick) to pass is going to be the best recipe Miami has to win this test of wills. In the end, it proved to be the Jets undoing a month ago, as the Dolphins won, and remain 4th in pass defense to this day.

Ryan Tannehill should finish this game on a high note. He had his best game of the season against a decent Minnesota Vikings defense who was ranked considerably higher against the pass, (6th as opposed to the Jets 15th position) entering the game. If the Dolphins can score 36 points they will reach 400 points for the season. (An average of 25 points per game). Tannehill only needs 214 yards to reach a first of 4,000 passing yards, and if Lamar Miller gets 82 more rushing yards he will have his first 1,000 yard season also. I feel these last two milestones are attainable in this game, and here is why.

The mystery is over in Miami. For better or worse, Philbin will be back in 2015. It appears a majority of the players are happy with this oddly timed, Christmas announcement by Steven Ross. I think there will be a show of solidarity by this team. They will want to play their hearts out, now that they know Joe Philbin will be at the helm another year. They have to be relieved that they won't be auditioning for a chance to play for someone else, or somewhere else next season, if at all. The worry that there will be sweeping changes to this staff and roster, no longer exists. I believe having the weight alleviated from their shoulders will give them that extra incentive to win this one.

Remember? How the players came together during that emotional week Joe Philbin had to take a couple of days off to go see his ailing father, (whom unfortunately, passed away shortly after that visit). The Dolphins went out and literally destroyed the San Diego Chargers that Sunday in Miami and gave Joe Philbin the game ball with their condolences.

This is a jubilant Miami Dolphins football team, right now. A franchise that knows they have been given a reprieve of sorts. If the Jets have any ideas about beating the Dolphins like they did in last seasons finale while ruining the home teams high? They may have picked the wrong time to come to South Florida, and New York won't have Jet Lag to blame when they are leaving Miami with a loss.

Go Dolphins!

Ugly Game Becomes Attractive Upon Last Call

A Miami Dolphin Post Game Piece by Tony Nicoletti.


As the expression goes, "The Boys/Girls always get better looking right around closing time at the bar". So was this night when the Miami Dolphins came to play the New York Jets.

It started out as a sloppy, boring, Monday night game, and the ugly parts are as follows.

Unfortunately, Denver paved the way for subsequent teams to try and use the same, "run heavy" approach that proved to be successful against Miami last week.

As many feared, old Rex Ryan pulled every running gadget play he could think of in the first half to keep the Dolphins reeling. These Jets just happened to already have the 5th best running game in the league, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that they would try to employ a similar strategy.

It worked very well for the first two quarters of the game. It helped New York jump out to an early lead with a 20 yard touch down run in the first quarter. By the time the first quarter was half way over, the home team had -2 yards passing, and 102 yards rushing. They also got a 47 yard run during that first half from Chris Johnson a 2009 two thousand yard running back for the Tennessee Titans . (CJ would wind up with 105 yards on 17 carries for the evening, as well).
The Score: NYJETS 7, MIAMI 0.

On the Dolphins second series they moved the ball down field from their own 18 to the Jets 25 yard line, (mostly on Tannehill's passing and his 10 yard run) but Sturgis missed the stalled drives 43 yard field goal attempted wide left.

The Jets followed that up with a successful field goal, early in the second quarter on their third possession of the game. Starting from their own 34 yard line and ending up on Miami's 22 yard line with all of their 9 plays being runs. At that point they had run the ball 12 straight plays and had racked up 152 yards on the ground with 19 yards through the air!
The score: NYJETS 10, MIAMI 0.

After Miami follows with a three and out, NY marches down the field once again, but missed a 48 yard field goal to keep the score at 10 to 0. The drive began on their 6 and ended on the Dolphin 30 yard line. They have run a total of 14 straight running plays and have 205 yards rushing, and Geno Smith has completed 3 of 6 passes for 22 yards.

At the very end of the first half, Miami finally tie's a pink ribbon around a muddy Sow's neck by getting a field goal The drive began on the Dolphins own 38 and was halted on the Jets 25 yard line. Ryan Tannehill did connect on a nice 20 yard pass to tight end Dion Sims during the drive.
The Score: NYJETS 10, MIAMI 3.

Regardless, the stats are looking butt ugly for the visitors over the first half of play. The unsightly first half totals are such.

Time of possession: New York 17:38 to Miami's 12:22.

The Dolphins looked good passing the ball, though:
Tannehill was 15 of 19 (almost a 79% completion percentage) for 128 yards while Geno Smith had the same 3 completions on 6 attempts for 22 yards mentioned earlier.

Miami only ran the ball 3 times for 15 yards. (10 of which were Ryan Tannehill's).
The Jets ran the ball 29 times for 210 yards, the most in a single half of play by any team in the last 5 years!

Fortunately, there were no turn overs by either team in the first half.

During Miami's opening series of the third quarter they marched from their own 25, only to stall on the Jets 26 yard line. The drive ended on a deep pass that Mike Wallace dropped in the end zone. Dolphin running back Lamar Miller had 4 carries for 21 yards on the series which was more yardage than Miami had accrued over the entire first half on the ground. It appeared as though the Dolphin running game might be picking up steam, though they ended up settling for a Sturgis 44 yard field goal.
The Score: NYJETS 10, MIAMI 6.

The Dolphins have been very good at making half time adjustments this season. Especially on offense. Miami is supposed to be the most successful team in the NFL when it comes to scoring in the third quarter. Second half expectations were to see some good offensive adjustments by offensive coordinator Bill Lazor which at this point, seemed to become the case. Miami was moving the ball much better on the ground while Tannehill continued to be effective through the air. The Dolphins now have 162 yards passing and 36 yards rushing.

But what was really most anticipated was to witness the Dolphin defense finding a way to counter the juggernaut that was the Jets rushing attack.

New York's first possession of the second half started on their own 40 yard line because Miami kicker Caleb Sturgis squandered the kickoff out of bounds. Once again the Jets are able to move the ball down the field 33 yards, (this time with the help of a 20 yard Smith pass on a third and 5 play). Miami finally stopped them on a 3rd and 1 at the Dolphin 27 yard line by stuffing a running play for zero yardage, and short of the first down marker. The ball actually came out on the play but the Jets recovered it, and kicked a 45 yard field goal that hit the crossbar, yet still went through the uprights.
The Score: NYJETS 13, MIAMI 6.

Miami gets the ball on their own 22 yard line but go 3 and out. The Dolphins punt it away to New York, and they go 3 and out as well, (for the first time in the game). Dolphin defensive end Dion Jordan partially blocks their punt attempt, it only travels 6 yards before being downed at the Jets 41 yard line, and Miami takes over with the best starting field position they've had all day.

On the first play from scrimmage an under serious duress Tannehill tosses a short pass that was intended for Lamar Miller, but somehow the ball bounces up in the air off of Miller's two palms and is intercepted. New York corner back Darrin Walls catches it and runs it back 25 yards from the Jet 45 yard line to Miami's 30. However, the Jets do not get anywhere on the ground, (for a change) and Smith also gets sacked by Cam Wake on third down for an 8 yard loss. This effectively puts the home team out of field goal range after another three and out!

Miami's subsequent possession takes the game into the fourth quarter when the Dolphins again have to kick it away, after just 5 plays. (So much for Miami being a big third quarter scoring team). But there seems to be a theme developing here, and this is where things start looking good for the visitors.

After 3 quarters of play, Miami has a total of 201 yards, (149 yards passing and 52 yards rushing) while the Jets have 267 total yards, (34 yards passing and 233 yards on the ground). New York has only gotten 23 yards rushing and 12 yards passing during the third quarter.

It seems as though Dolphin defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle has also made some effective adjustments to start the second half. He has gone to an 8 or 9 man defensive front when the Jets have shown a single or double running back set, (respectively). It has slowed New York down considerably and forced them to throw the ball more. (Note that all three Dolphin defensive levels are in on this tackle, Wake/Misi/Jones)!

Anyway. Miami manages to pin them deep in their own territory where Geno almost fumbles the ball away at New York's 5 yard line. After a 3 and out they kick the ball from their 4 yard line to their own 49. The Jets commit a 10 yard holding penalty during the kick which gives the Dolphins a second possession starting on the oppositions side of the 50 yard line. This time on the home teams 39 yard line with 12:52 remaining in the game and the score still at 13 to 6 in their favor.

Tannehill does not waste the opportunity and immediately hits Landry on a crossing route over the middle for a 25 yard gain to the Jets 14 yard line. Then Ryan runs for 5 yards, himself. Miller runs for 3 and 2 yards before Tannehill throws an incomplete pass to Gibson. On third and 4, Miller runs it in from 4 yards out to tie it up.
The Score: NYJETS 13, MIAMI 13.

The Jets get the ball back with 10:24 left to play in regulation. They have good field position on their own 39 yard line to start. Geno Smith scrambles twice, the first for 13, and the second for 5 yards. New York managed to work their way down the field on mostly, short running plays, (aside from Johnson's 13 yard scamper). They wind up with a first and 10 on Miami's 22 yard line. Percy Harvin gets 4 yards. Chris Johnson gets -1, and then Smith gets sacked for an 8 yard loss by Miami linebacker Koa Misi, back on the 27 yard line. This lost yardage is just enough for Nick Folk to miss his second field goal on the day. (A 45 yard attempt).

Miami now has the ball back with 5:42 left in the game. The score is tied and momentum has obviously swung their way. From their own 35 yard line they start moving down field. Tannehill connects with tight end Sims on a deep pass of 18 yards, and a short toss that nets 17 yards. Miller runs for 8, 3, 3, -2 yards and has a 5 yard reception to move them to the Jets 8 yard line. Surgis kicks the 26 yard, go ahead field goal with only 1:57 left for the Jets to mount a come back.
The Score: NYJETS 13, MIAMI 16.

Geno Smith starts from his own 20 yard line and completes two passes for 10 and 11 yards, (sandwiching an incomplete pass). He scrambles to get a yard and they have another run for 2 yards. On his 4th passing attempt of the drive, (from his own 44 yard line) he throws deep for Jeff Cumberland at the Miami 30 yard line, but is intercepted by Dolphin safety Rashad Jones!

GAME OVER! This was the least attractive win of the season for our Miami Dolphins. But in the end, they showed some rather attractive attributes.

Like:

Tannehill going 25 of 35 for 217 yards and 1 INT. This 71.4 completion percentage is his 5th consecutive 70+% outing (a Miami Dolphin record), and 7th of this season.

Ryan wasn't great in the early going, (though his first half stats showed him completing almost 80 percent of his passes). Meanwhile, he also brought his team back in the fourth quarter in driving them to score 10 unanswered points to win the game.

The Dolphin defense finally closed out a close game with a drive stopping interception and limited the Jets running attack to just 67 yards on 20 attempts in the second half. (After being steam rolled in the first half for 210 yards on 29 carries). A shame that they couldn't make such an adjustment sooner! But Miami did hold the Jets to just 3 points in the second half and scoreless in the fourth quarter.

After 3 attempts in the first half for 15 yards Miami's offense manages to balance their attack in the second half with an additional 59 yards on 15 carries and 10 of 16 passes for 107 yards.

Despite more adjustments and shuffling on the offensive line the Dolphins only allowed two sacks, all game long against a very good Jets defensive front.

Yes. This was a pretty ugly win. A, "Coyote Ugly" affair, at that. (We have all heard how a Coyote will chew a paw off to get out of a trap). Well......after Sturgis missed that first field goal of 43 yards in this trap game, Dolphin Nation was willing to volunteer sticking his kicking foot in such a trap.

Let's just be happy that such a hideous attempt didn't become an omen for uglier things to come and that it isn't always necessary to win so.......pretty.


The 7 - 5 Miami Dolphins are presently the AFC's sixth seed in a six seed playoff chase with the 7 - 5 Baltimore Ravens coming to town!

There are four additional 7 - 5 teams (Chiefs, Steelers, Browns, and Bills) tailgating your favorite team!

San Diego's Chargers are currently the AFC's fifth seed at 8 - 4, and if able to pull even Miami wins the tie-breaker!


GO DOLPHINS!!!

A Potentially Scary Game For The Miami Dolphins

Here is another informative piece by Dolphin Shout writer Tony Nicoletti, ENJOY !

The Miami Dolphins head to New York, (actually East Rutherford, New Jersey) for a Monday night game against their arch rivals, the Jets! Don't think for a moment that we are going to waltz in to MetLife Stadium, proclaim our superiority and leave with a victory. Whether it be in New York or in Miami, (with all those New York Jets fans that have transplanted to south Florida to enjoy the warmer climes) this is always a fiercely physical contest. It seems like we bring out the worst and best in each other.

Statistically, there are only 4 teams worse than the Jets at moving the ball. They are dead last at heaving the rock. (With their two QB system of Geo Smith and more recently, Michael Vick). But they do have a top notch running game. (#5 in the NFL). And it seems as though we were exposed last Sunday at Mile High Stadium when it came to stopping the run. Hopefully, the lower altitude will get us back to our stingy ways in that category.

On the surface, this looks like one of those games that we should easily come out on top in. Yet, when these two teams butt heads, facts and figures go out the window. Why is that? Why is it any two teams that play each other twice a year have such heated battles on the field? Because they know each other, all too well. This rivalry has a flamboyant, colorful history. It seems that in recent times, our games have been more about vying for second best in the division behind the Patriots. None the less, this will be no walk in Central Park. Even the point spread reflects a rather timid 6 points to our advantage.

It's amazing how a team with only two wins can have such a consistently dominant defense. (They are ranked #7 while we have slipped to #5 this week). Credit Rex Ryan's defensive genius for putting a team on the field that always plays decently on that side of the ball. They have given up a lot of points this season, though. (303 to our 219) But when you have an offense that has only scored 177 points, (versus our 285) even the best defenses are going to leak a few points. (From exhaustion, if nothing else).

Where the Jets are most vulnerable is in their secondary. They have given up 27 TD's through the air with only 3 INT's. (Miami has 18 TD's to 10 INT's). Gone are the days of Revis Island and his side kick Cromarte guarding the back end. The Jets are not the opportunistic team they use to be with their -12 in turn overs. (The Dolphins sits at a +3 in that category). For the third week in a row we will be playing a stout defensive line that is capable of getting to the QB. (28 sacks to our 31).

There is something different about the Dolphins that the Jets will be experiencing for the first time. An offense guided by Bill Lazor. It was great to see how we were able to keep Tannehill relatively fluid against a fearsome and talented Denver defensive front. And we did it with a make shift, offensive line consisting of second and third string players, too. That is play calling if you ask me. I was also surprised at how effective our running game was against the best run defense in the league. (Until we went away from the run in the second half). This is something else Rex Ryan's boys are going to have to deal with next Monday night.

There will be nothing familiar or predictable about the Dolphin's mode of operation. The only thing old Rex is going to have are 11 weeks worth of film to get an idea of what we are capable of. But just in case he does find some strategy that might prove beneficial to his club, our pre-snap movement will give Tannehill some reads as to what the Jets are doing with their exotic pass rushing schemes. Shuffling players around before the snap forces a defense to tip their hand to an extent.

I have every reason to think we will try to jump out to an early lead to help quiet New York's hostile crowd. We are going to be giving it our all to rebound from our weak defensive showing in Denver. The Jets will be trying to recover from that blow out with the Bills in their rescheduled Monday night game. (Due to Ralph Wilson Stadium being snowed in). We have the extra day of preparation that they don't, as well.

You know Coyle will be emphasizing the fundamentals of shedding blocks and tackling, to overcome the Jets hard charging running attack. Gaining a sizable lead will place the Jets in a position where they will have to shelve the running game in favor of the pass, to make up lost ground and points. Michael Vick can still scramble, (though not as much as he use to) so we will have to watch out for him. Keep in mind that the Jets have allowed 36 sacks on the season. (We have given up 25, ourselves). Wake and company should be able to pad their stat lines a little this week.

The Jets have recently acquired Percy Harvin from the Seattle Seahawks. Aside from him, they don't have too many weapons to worry about so we should be able to keep them in check. Our first priority needs to be stopping the run. Our second concern had better be, not to take this team lightly. Remember our final game, last season? That ought to be motivation enough for us to hand out a first rate curb stomping, in a New York heart beat.

After getting our nemesis the Buffalo Bills off our backs, I don't believe we will succumb to the type of game the Jets seem to play with us. (It's either a close, nip and tuck affair or a high scoring shoot out). It would be nice to see us get an early lead and continue to build on it without there being any concerns about them challenging us.

Another facet of our game that Mr Ryan is going to have a hard time coping with is our improved QB, Ryan Tannehill. He is becoming much more comfortable with Lazor's playbook and not so easy to rattle as he has been in previous seasons. A quick passing game that occasionally features Tannehill's ability to buy time with his legs, (or flat out run for it when he sees the opening) will give the Jet's DC fits. It should neutralize the pass rush, too. We ought to have little difficulty going through the air against their 14th ranked pass defense.

Tannehill has been a much better field general, (game manager) in recent weeks. If we limit mistakes and turn overs, this Dolphins team can leave New York with a much better idea of where they stand in the playoff hunt. We will have the benefit of seeing what the competition has done the day before. It is doubtful Rex Ryan is playing to keep his job anymore, so that should not be a rallying cry for his troops like it was at the end of the 2013 season.

Recently, because of Steven Ross's ties to New York, there was talk that Rex Ryan could be a possible candidate to take over in Miami if we decided to get rid of Philbin. (And Harbaugh was again, unavailable for hire). Oh God, let us win so that does not become a reality.

If I had to predict what the outcome of the game was going to be, I'd say the final score will be 27 to 13 in our favor. That is, if the weather does not play too much a factor. If it's windy and snowing, it will be a low scoring game.

It's a Bird, it's a Plane, it's a Miami Dolphins Touchdown!

GO DOLPHINS!!!

Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills Contest Playoff Hopes

Thanks Tony Nicoletti for the following post...

So here we are after a tough loss in the final minute by yet, another NFC North team (The Detroit Lions). There is no time to lick our wounds because we host the Buffalo Bills in our house Thursday Night. (BTW, I hope Finnegan is not too seriously hurt after losing Branden Albert for the season).

Normally, I like to wait until after the Monday Night game so I can get the most up-to-date stats and standings information before contemplating our chances against an upcoming opponent. But I'll be away from my PC Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for health reasons, so I'm offering up this game preview, now. (That means the stats from today's games are not included). It shouldn't make much of a difference in this contest. Statistics don't always reflect the whole story in these games. This far into the season, player and team figures/rankings are not going to vary much.

Both the Dolphins and Bills are coming into this game after losing by 4 point margins to playoff caliber teams. Buffalo was leading 13 to 3 before the Chiefs scored 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to win the game. We, on the other hand battled back to capture the lead, in the 4th quarter, only to lose the game in the last 29 seconds. This kind of scenario makes for an intriguing match up. Neither of us are happy with losing games we could and should have won.

The statistics suggest this will be another close defensive struggle as both teams have a top 10 defense. The Bills possesses the best defensive line in the league, with the most sacks. They are a little stronger than we are at defending the run.  Our defense has given up fewer yards and points overall. We allow the fewest average passing yards per play of anyone in the league, as well. Buffalo also has some ball hawks on the back end that we have to watch out for with their 12 INT versus our 9. We both have been opportunistic in the turn over category.

Offensively, we are ranked 12th overall, while they are 24th. Without CJ Spiller, they have lost considerable ground in their running game. They favor and have a passing attack that equals our own. First, it was El Manuel, (earlier in the season) and now Kyle Orton. Orton has a 104.0 rating through 8 games and has been playing well of late. They have allowed their QB's to get sacked 23 times so that might be an area we can exploit as we too, can chase down the QB.

After facing the toughest defense we are likely going to meet this season, Buffalo"s will be almost as challenging. We were able to adjust against the Lions so that Tannehill was more effective passing from the second quarter, on. I expect Lazor will dial up a game plan that will neutralize Buffalo's stampeding front 4 and their pass rush.

These two teams know each other all too well and are fairly evenly matched. I'm personally tired of Buffalo pressing our buttons with that vaunted pass rush of theirs. They caught us earlier this season, just after we emotionally spent ourselves with that surprising New England victory. Ryan Tannehill was still deciphering and getting acclimated to Bill Lazors new playbook. Now that Ryan has a better, more comfortable understanding of his role in this offense, it could be a different story this time around.

Anticipate Tannehill moving around in the pocket with roll outs, scrambles and read option plays designed to negate the athletic, fast and formidable Buffalo rush. Quick intermediate passes, screens and slants, interspersed with strategic running plays should keep Buffalo off balanced and at bay. This will give Miami opportunities to take shots down the field on occasion to Wallace.

We need to pressure, hurry, hit and sack Kyle Orton. There seems to be a resurgence of veteran QB's getting second chances in the league these days. I would just assume see Kyle make the most of his opportunities from a prone position. Can't have him getting a reputation off of us! Tannehill is the more mobile of the two QB's. Let's see how the Bills like having their QB under duress instead of the other way around.

Essentially, I want to see Miami knock the buffalo chips out of the Bills. It won't be an easy task, though. They have had our number 4 out of the last 5 meetings. That kind of familiarity breeds contempt. Time to turn that around. This is a different Dolphins team that they will be going up against in Miami.

I said before, because of our defenses, this just might be a close game. Well, history dictates otherwise. We need to get some redemption after the squeaker in Detroit. This Buffalo Bills team has been a thorn in our side for a number of years. Wouldn't you just love for the Dolphins to demonstrate that this was a bad time for the Buffalo Bills to show up in south Florida to play football? What better team to get a little pay back against than them. Besides, we need to cover the point differential they hung on us in our previous match. (19 points, remember)?

I'd settle for a three touch down deficit.....in our favor, of course. If not, we better hope we don't end the season in a tie. Oh... and that is another reason I want to beat them so bad. They lost to Kansas City. The Bills gave the team that holds the tie breaker against us, a one game advantage, too.

Get them Miami! GO DOLPHINS!

It Appears That the Detroit Lions Are Little More than Paper Tigers

The very talented Tony Nicoletti sent me this piece to share with the great readers of Dolphin Shout. I know you'll enjoy it:

I keep hearing about the Detroit Lions having the number one ranked defense and this high powered, explosive offense but frankly, I don't see it. Sure they have Megatron, Reggie Bush and a few nice pieces on offense. (Including a top 10 QB in Stafford). But like Green Bay, and San Diego, they rely too heavily on the pass which makes them resort too easily to a one dimensional game plan.

And yes, their defense has allowed the fewest points in the NFL at the half way point of the season. They have also won 3 of their 4 games at home, too. Both of us are coming into the match with a 3 game winning streaks. Miami is a 3 point underdog. But when you investigate a little deeper you see some kinks in their armor.

I mean, look at their defense. They really haven't played any teams with power house offenses. They have only faced two teams that have scored more than 200 points, so far this season. (The Packers and the Saints). For that matter, they have only played 2 teams that have a winning record. (The Bills and Packers, both having a 5 and 3 record). (The Saints are sitting at 4 and 4). They did beat Green Bay and New Orleans, though. Their only losses were at Buffalo and a home game against the Panthers, (A 3 - 5 and 1 team).

Meanwhile, Miami has gone up against 5 teams with a winning record. (The Patriots who are 7 and 2, and the Chargers with their 5 and 4 record). We won both of those contests, convincingly. (The Bills, Chiefs and Packers are all sitting at 5 and 3). They also happen to be the only teams we have lost to. And despite our leaking points and yardage to teams like Buffalo and Kansas City, we held some potent offenses, well in check. Four of our contests involved clubs that have bested 200 points or more. The Dolphins have been steadily climbing the Defensive and Offensive charts.We are number 3 in points allowed now. The defense is 2nd in the league against the pass. (The Lions are 5th).

They haven't teed off against a defense like ours yet, this season. They may be in for a rude awakening. They are efficient in scoring and have relied on their defense to keep them in games. (Doesn't that sound familiar)? They needed to, putting up a meager 162 points. (We are sitting at 211 points, offensively and ranked 9th in the league in scoring and total offense). The Lions are 20th in total offense but have a 9th ranking passing attack.That doesn't sound like that much of a threat. Especially when they have no balance or running game to speak of. They are no where near as talented or formidable as the aerial attack Brady, Rodgers, Cutler or Rivers can lay on you.

I envision  this as a defensive struggle, early on. I believe Lazor will adjust and find ways to counter Detroit's defensive strengths and with our balanced attack, we should be able to put up some points. I believe our defense will be able to contain their weak running game and stifle their passing assault. (Rendering Stafford's strong arm to minimal damage against us). We need to execute and win the turn over battle. Home field advantage and crowd noise aside, we stand a good chance of leaving Ford Field victorious, and could well reduce the upstart Lions to what I see as.........paper tigers.

Preseason Defensively Speaking

Tony has another top-quality piece for us. Enjoy!

I've had my say about our new look offense under first year OC, Bill Lazor this preseason. Now I want to have a few words about Coyle and Company.

It seems we looked pretty much like we picked up where we left off last December. Our linebackers and secondary whiffed something awful, missing tackles and allowing a lot of after the catch yardage versus the Falcons. (As well as running backs getting yardage after initial contact).

It turned out to be our worst showing. We didn't get any turn overs or sacks in the game. Atlanta racked up 84 yards rushing and 288 yards passing. The defense did keep us in the game, though. The final score was 16 to 10, in their favor.

After practicing during the week on the fundamentals of wrapping up and tackling, our meeting with Tampa Bay went somewhat better. The Buccaneers totaled 91 yards rushing and only 159 yards passing. We forced 2 turn overs, (fumbles) and got 5 sacks. The final score was 20 to 14. (Tampa Bay got a pick six and their late game scoring drive was nothing more than garbage points for them when it didn't matter).

Our third contest was against the Dallas Cowboys. (The dress rehearsal where most of the starters would stay in the game until the early third quarter). Dallas was a top 5 team last year on offense so this would be a good test for our defense. The Cowboys only mustered 94 yards rushing and 157 yards through the air. We got 3 sacks and forced a fumble. Our defense stymied them late in the game allowing us to come from behind to score two TD's and win it 25 to 20. A good showing against a potent offense.

The Saint Louis Rams had us down 13 to 0 going into the fourth quarter. Tannehill and just about all of our starters were kept on the bench, to save them for the regular season. Still, the defense held the Rams to 87 yards on the ground and 178 in the air. We managed to get 5 sacks and once again scored two TD's in the fourth quarter for the come back win.

In 2013, we allowed an average of 234.5 yards passing, 124.9 yards rushing and 20.90 points.
In 2014, we allowed an average of 195.5 yards passing,   95.5 yards rushing and 15.75 points.

Of course, these are only preseason games, (and 4 at that) but we did not allow a 100 yard rushing game and in 3 games we got 13 total sacks. (Tied for second best in preseason). The defense held our opponents to fewer yards and points per game, (on average) than we averaged in all three of these categories.

Overall, Miami is tied for second in average yards per play in preseason, too. (4.4 yards per play).
The Dolphins are 9th in overall defense. 13th against the pass and 8th versus the rush.
We are second behind the Bronco's 9 yard longest running play from scrimmage with  a 14 yard run.

Defensively, we will have 2 starting players out with 4 game suspensions to start the regular season. Aside from inconsistent tackling and receiver/tight end coverage by our line backers, I expect our defense will be improved this season. At least in the top 15, (or maybe 10).  That will be enough to make us competitive in the play offs. Yes I said playoffs.

The defensive line and secondary are a versatile,stout group. There is good athleticism and speed on this roster. If Wheeler or Ellerbe cannot get it together we have some fresh talent that can be worked into the mix to either spur them along or take their place, outright.

I like where this team is going and that Philbin/Coyle are not afraid to tap into the youth movement. It's been a while since we had rookies that showed such promise. This means Hickey is doing his job, too.

Now that this blog is over I can concentrate on our game with New England. And I can not believe CBS has decided to show the game in 39% of the market, which means I will get to see the game here in Oregon. I will still be popping in and out of the Shout's live game chat to touch base with you guys during the game, though.

Go FINS!

Are the Dolphins Playing Possum?

This post was submitted by our very own Tony Nicoletti. Enjoy!

I know the preseason is over and that Lazor had to do everything he could to keep much of Miami's new offense under wraps. (Especially with the Patriots coming to Miami to open the season). But I have to wonder....

Perhaps I am an incurable, overly optimistic fan. A hopeless homer of sorts. Someone that doesn't just believe the glass is half full, but sees it's contents being almost full of my favorite Koolaid, too. I'm about to offer an extremely hopeful, rose colored view point of what one could garner from this, "cloak and dagger" preseason. And what might be in store for us Dolphin aficionados.

Tannehill only played in 3 games. But in those 3 contests, this is what could be construed as the results:

The very first preseason outing, he goes 6 for 6 and drives the team down and scores a TD. He gets yanked after the first quarter. I can almost hear Lazor on the sidelines talking to Ryan after that glowing sample of work. "Easy kid". "Cool your jets"! (Excuse the, "Jets" pun, there).  "You are setting yourself up to give these fans too much to hope for". "We don't want the new and improved Tannehill/Dolphins to appear too good to be true".

Now in his second appearance, Tannehill comes down to earth with a much more realistic, yet favorable showing. 9 of 14 for 110 yards. He has a fumble, (not necessarily his fault)  due to a blown assignment, allowing McCoy to bust through the line to disrupt the play. He stays a couple of series and takes them down for a field goal before getting pulled so Moore can get his turn. Lazor is probably relieved Ryan has performed closer to what everyone is accustomed to seeing. But for two games Tannehill is still 15 of 20 for a 75 % completion rate.

Tannehill's third and final game, (the so called, "dress rehearsal") he plays into the third quarter and goes 13 of 21 for 116 yards. Seems pedestrian enough for him. He manages to bring them down for a field goal on an early series. Then he drives them down into enemy territory twice and throws an INT on one occasion, (at the 5 yard line). Another series stalls when Dion Sims catches a pass from Ryan for a first down, but fumbles at the 25 yard line. (Again, while Tannehill has them driving down field and well inside field goal range).

The point to all this is that Tannehill winds up completing 68.2 % of his passes against mostly, opposing first string defenses. (Considerably better than his 2013 stat line of 60.4 %). Though, there is still the issue of scoring, he is moving them down the field relatively well. (Even connecting on some long passes, just not to Wallace). He's getting the ball out quicker. Looks confident, decisive and the offense around him appears to be more exciting.

This is what happens when your top QB only gets sacked once in 3 games. And in 4 games the OL only gave up 3 total sacks, too. Testimony which indicates Bill Lazor is calling the right kind of plays to get the ball out before bad things happen.

In the three games where they had difficulty running the ball in the first half, the second half produced considerably better rushing totals. This demonstrates Lazor's unwillingness to give up on the run. Instead, he finds creative ways to not take what the defense is giving him, but spread the defense and exploit their weaknesses. I believe Lazor gets it. I think he understands the importance of trying to achieve a balance and at least have a decent running game that the defense has to respect.

And after two sub par rushing performances, (52 and 46 yards) Miami explodes in a big way, (be it against a weak Dallas defense) for 200 yards? (Once again, tipping their hand as to what kind of potential they have). But of course, this has to be followed by a weaker preseason tally of 79 yards in their final scrimmage. Who are you kidding, Bill?

As far as meaningless victories are concerned? We lose a winnable opener in Atlanta, 16 to 10. Easily beat a Buccaneer team that has a very good defense, 20 to 14. (Put the brakes on now, Bill Lazor). Then we come from behind late in our final two games to win. (25 to 20 versus the Cowboys and 14 to 13 against the Rams). And naturally, they would be home games that saw us scoring two touch downs in the fourth quarter in each of them. (With second and third string personnel, no less)? Grand standing much are we, Mr Lazor?

I mean......Are the Dolphins playing possum?

First, you have Ryan Tannehill coming out of the gate like his dorsal fin is on fire. Better throttle him back before people start thinking he's the second coming of Nick Foles of the Eagles. Like....We all know Dolphins can give the appearance of being able to walk on water. But not our young QB. I don't care if his tail fin is on fire or not.

Then after two outings that did not amount to a 100 yards of rushing you decide to pacify us by game planning 200 yards? Sure Moreno finally got to play, but he only accounted for 64 of those yards and perhaps, did set the tone for the other RB's to follow. Yeah, it was against the Cowboy's porous defense. But it seems all the RB's had a field day and not one of them wound up scraping cow paddies of their cleats in the process. Could this have something to do with your play calling?

And all of the sudden, the Dolphins become cardiac kids? Coming from behind to win 2 games in the fourth quarter. And not with an occasional field goal, mind you. With multiple, needed TD's.

But this is a work in progress. A team learning a new playbook that is still supposed to be an off shoot of the West Coast Offense. I ain't buying it.

If this is what we can expect from this new group of Dolphins then I can understand why Belichick is snatching our recently released players off the waiver wire to pick their brains. I honestly don't think it will do him much good. The Philadelphia Eagles had some success against New England last season with their Kelly/ Lazor offensive scheme, and Belichick remembers.

As creative as you are and how well you have this offense trying to down play and stymie our opponents with our true talents and abilities, you will only change up and adapt to the Patriots defensive sub packages. And nothing would be more satisfying than really ticking old Belichick off. That and a win!

And I haven't even mentioned how much better our defense has played during the preseason. I'll try to have a few words about them in an up coming piece. Maybe, before we play New England this weekend.

Why Miami's Offense Will Be Much Improved In 2014

I have wanted to say something for a while now about what I thought the Bill Lazor hiring was going to do for this Dolphins team. But moving 300 miles and health issues have prevented me from doing so. Seeing Patrick Tarell's recent article on Lazor motivated my writing this piece so if you don't like it, take it up with him. (Joking of course, Pat).

I had a bunch of facts and figures accumulated about Lazor. From his short stint with the Eagles. His previous pro and college coaching history, all the way back to his college years as a quarter back at Cornell University. Seems I have lost some of the research in the move, so I'm not going to try to bore you with too many stats and info that only offer possibilities and tendencies, anyway.

Like Patrick said, it appears Miami decided to break away from their previous practice which mandated going with an OC that had plenty of game film and history, which brought us the likes of Henning and Sherman in recent years. We took a chance on a relative unknown to try and shake thing up, so to speak.

Tannehill has done well to make the improvements he has last year with a poor offensive line, below average running game and a OC that could no longer stay on top of the game, adjust to changing circumstances or further develop Ryan's skill set to take him to the next level.

Enter Bill Lazor. And just when we were looking for someone who could jump start our Plain Jane, predictable offense, too. Someone who could also get our QB to make better decisions, develop a stronger sense of pocket awareness and hone his ball skills. (The long ball in particular)! Judging from his history as an OC and more importantly, a QB Coach, he has demonstrated a unique capacity to make the best use of the talent he has to work with and elevate quarter back play in a very short period of time. He fulfills both needs, very well.

Christ. The guy has a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Human Development and Family Studies? I don't know what all that degree stuff means but he obviously has an ability to communicate, break things down to a rudimentary level that makes it easier for others to learn and understand. His contributions in a single season to a Philadelphia Eagles second year QB, Nick Foles were nothing short of miraculous.

I know some of you may be thinking, but what does his one year success with the Eagles mean for us? Just because the Eagles went to the playoffs their first year under Chip Kelly's fast paced, exceptionally well balanced offense doesn't mean we are destined to do the same. Besides, Philadelphia was already trending in that direction anyway, right? NO!

A few quick facts and figures from NFL.com to consider: (Mind you I'm talking about their 2012 figures versus our 2013 as a reference point to show the state of both offenses before Bill Lazor came to the franchise).

The Eagles in 2012 were a middle of the pack team that scored only 280 points. Overall offensively, they were ranked 16th. Ran 1,079 plays, averaging 5.3 yards per play. Had 37 fumbles, (22 of which they lost) and a Take Away of -24.

Passing, they were ranked 13th. (We were ranked 26th).

618 attempts. Completing 59.4%

Averaging 6.6 yards per play

18 TD's, 15 INT's, 48 Sacks and a rating of 78.6

This was the passing attack Bill Lazor inherited. He also had Michael Vick for a QB, too.

Rushing, they were ranked 13th as well. (We were ranked 17th).

413 attempts for 1,879 yards and a 4.5 yard average.

10 TD's, 18 fumbles.

In his 20 years of coaching, (12 at the College level and 8 with NFL teams) Bill Lazor has immediately improved the QB play, (12 years as a QB Coach) or total team offensive performance, (5 years as an OC) with every organization he has been with. He has also coached up RB's, TE's, WR's and even did a little recruiting early on in his career. (This last fact tells me he should know a little something about spotting and developing player talent).

Why do I think he is going to make dramatic improvements with the Dolphins? Well, for one, we have a lot of room to get better. (More so than the Eagles, anyway). I know that sounds kind of lame. In most statistical categories they were a better offensive team in 2012 than we were in 2013. We did score more points (317 vs their 280) had fewer turn overs, (-2 vs. -24 in T. O.'s) and a slightly higher passing game rating, (80.1 vs. 78.6). We only threw for 204 fewer yards and 439 less rushing yards on the season, too.

An area of concern was the ratio of passing to rushing plays for us in 2013. It was a woeful 65/35% split. We threw 593 plays to their 618, and ran only 349 times while they tried to run significantly more at 413. Neither of us were balanced in our attack, at all. Something opposing defenses were able to key on as both our clubs suffered an inordinate amount of sacks. 58 for us and 48 for them.

An interesting side note: Despite their have a balanced attack in 2013 they still gave up 46 sacks which means they too, were having pass protection issues. What is more amazing is that they still wound up with an incredible overall TD to INT ratio of 39 to 9. And since their veteran QB Michael Vick went down to injury early on, Nick Foles played the bulk of season, sustaining 28 of those sacks and still tossed an unbelievable 27 TD's to a measly 2 INT's. (Due to Lazor's tutelage and having the league’s best running game to help take the heat off of him). Bill was able to take a second year QB and help him achieve unheard results on the field of play.

What makes me think he can do, at least, an equally masterful job with Tannehill? For one thing Ryan is entering his third NFL season, (while Foles was in his second year when Lazor got a hold of him). Production-wise, Tannehill actually cracked the top ten QB's in the league last year. In 2012 Foley was ranked 40th, Vick was 27th. Ryan Tannehill was ranked 22nd his first year out of the gate. (which is exactly what Foles was able to do in under Lazor in 2013). So Nick Foles went from 40th to 22nd while Tannehill went from 22nd to 10th in their respective first two years with the NFL.

All in all, I think Ryan is a tougher, more athletic QB than Foles. I'm sure Lazor will utilize his running skills to our advantage, as well. He is a better prospect to work with than Foles, has more Pro experience under his belt, (much of it being pressured, hit and sacked) and shouldn't take too much more mentoring to get him over the top and have a breakout season.

Sure Bill Lazor is an OC, not a QB Coach anymore, but you can bet he will have some impact on Tannehill's performance in his third year with the club. And since Bill has been given a free reign as the OC, (one of the conditions of his coming to us) he can better build and create an offense around our QB that will be more productive.

He is sure to bring some of his experience with Chip Kelly's fast paced offense. He is well versed in the type of West Coast Offense Joe Philbin wants to run. He will have a better offensive line that has some solid pieces now to pass protect and do a better job of opening up holes (zone blocking) than he did in Philly. Our receivers and ball carriers should be on par with what the Eagles had on their squad. (Especially the receiving corps).

Bill Lazor is young, hungry, original and creative. He has played under some top notch Coaches over the years and has a superb grasp of the game. (Especially the QB position). More so than most OC's in the league. He is out to prove something now that he has been given an opportunity to be an OC.

So far, it seems like Miami's offensive players are happy and excited with the style of offense Bill wants to install this season. This will be the first time he will be calling the offensive plays in his career, too. As many years as Philbin was an Offensive Coordinator for Green Bay, he never called his own plays, either. (I see this as another bonus since defenses will not have any prior history to draw upon). It beats the devil out of the, "Go Go" counts and stock formations that were etched in stone and easily readable by defenses, last season.

An up tempo, unpredictable offense that moves its players around to create confusion and mismatches will have a better chance to dictate to the defense instead of taking what the defense gives them. It would be nice to see a high flying, potent offense taking the field this year. This team is overdue for some offensive football excitement. And I mean some really obscene offensive football, too!

We already have a defense that is capable of creating turn overs and stopping people. (When they aren't forced to be on the field for extended periods of time because the offense cannot hang onto the ball, sustain drives or generate points). A stronger offense will only improve the defense's level of play, too.

They say we have a brutal schedule again this year. They said the same thing last year when we opened the season against three playoff caliber teams and went 3 and 0. We beat the Colts, Bengals, Chargers and Steelers. (All of which were potential playoff teams). One more win would have gotten us to the post season arena.

Chip Kelly and his OC will get most of the credit for the Eagles sudden offensive turn around. But nothing was more impressive than what Nick Foles, (with Bill Lazor's guidance) did to wind up with a 119.2 passer rating and a ratio of 27 TD's to 2 INT's during his 11 game stint.

I believe a couple of more wins in 2014 will get us into the playoffs, for sure. It is entirely possible if we can manage to score an average of 5 more points per game. (Remember, 9 of the 12 teams that went into the post season in 2013 scored 400 points or more to get there). If the Eagles can go from 280 points in 2012 to 442 points in 2013, we should be able to go from 317 to around 400. That is all it will take for Miami to be relevant again folks. Glad we got Mr. Lazor on our side to help make that happen.