Going back to last year and the final 9 games the Miami Dolphins went 6-3, and no one wanted to see us on their schedule. Even though it is one year later, and the Dolphins are once again getting bogged down with losses, I don't think anyone wants to face us this year either.
The Dolphins are a dangerous team. No our record doesn't show it, that's for sure. We continue to lose games that we should be winning, but no matter our record we do a lot of things well.
We have the sixth leading rusher in Reggie Bush, we have the first WR in Brian Hartline, and Ryan Tannehill is only 304 yards behind Drew Brees (the passing leader), and this is only his 4th game. Cameron Wake is 6th in sacks. Sean Smith is tied for seventh in interceptions along with a host of other players. Miami is first in rushing defense. So as you can see, we do have some pieces of the puzzle.
For the life of me I don't understand how we only have one win so far. We have beat the hell out of three teams so far, and we only have that one win to show for it. Some will say the QB is to blame for it (Patrick). Others can look to our to awful pass defense ranked 30th in the NFL. Still others will lay it at the feet of the special teams, and Carpenter in particular.
I feel it's a little bit of all of those reasons. Mainly though I think it has more to do with not knowing how to win. It's the little things like Thigpen allowing the ball to hit the ground on a punt and losing field position because of that. It's the play in the end zone last week when Richard Marshall fell asleep on the final defensive play of regulation (how you let a guy run a simple out for a TD is beyond me). It's the missed make-able field goals by Carpenter and some dropped or fumbled passes as we have seen with Armstrong and Naanee. It's the lack of a pass rush, and the lack of pass protection at the big moments in a game.
What ever it is it those moments that add up to losing. Until we can learn to stop making those mistakes and replace them with defining plays when it counts teams will continue to beat us, and at the same time hate to play us.
Losing Trend Continues for Tannehill and The Dolphins
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, Raheem Morris had a famous quote for critics that showed the Bucs statistically were not performing well, “stats are for losers!” Morris was probably right, even though the team had started 4-2 last season, dwelling on statistics does not lead to wins on the football field. After 10 straight losses led to his firing, he probably wishes he had listened a little more closely.
Obviously a QB performs better in a win, than in a loss. The quandary in measuring statistical greatness in quarterbacks is whether individual performance numbers are more important than wins or losses. Dolphin fans have seen some of the greatest quarterback play in NFL history in a man named Dan Marino. What Dolphin fans did not celebrate were Super Bowl victories during Marino’s tenure.
Comparing any QB to Dan Marino, especially a rookie is not only wrong, but foolish, Marino is in the hall of fame and Ryan Tannehill can only dream of reaching those lofty standards. The point is, great stats can get a QB into the hall of fame, but wins get a QB a Super Bowl ring. Folks in Miami have seen admirable QB play, but after 40 years, the thirst for a Super Bowl victory is like finding an oasis after a long trek through the Arizona dessert.
The relevance of these statistical references to the Miami Dolphins comes when trying to understand whether Ryan Tannehill can lead the Dolphins to victory in closely contested football games. Take a moment to consider the following chart breaking down the results of how Ryan Tannehill performed in wins and losses at Texas A&M in 2011.
The chart shows a breakdown of all the Texas A&M wins and losses in 2011. Excluding Baylor, the 25 average point differential in the winning games came against mostly inferior opponents. The -5.5 differential in losses is telling, excluding the Oklahoma game, A&M lost every other game by an average of 2.8 points. An average of less than a field goal from a 12-1 record.
Mike Sherman is personally well aware of these numbers. It's a trend that continues with the Dolphins and must be addressed and rectified before Tannehill, and in turn the Dolphins can win these close games. Unfortunately the numbers do not lie and will follow Tannehill until he learns from his mistakes.
Poor execution by Tannehill on a pitch play to Reggie Bush early in the fourth quarter killed a promising drive. Tannehill missed Bush on the toss, resulting in a loss of 9 yards. With an opportunity to put Arizona away later in the fourth quarter, the Cards blitzed and according to Tannehill, “we had a little miscommunication up front...”
Richie Incognito missed the blitzer, but it is Tannehill who called the protection and he did not make the proper call. He got sacked and stripped of the ball, with a free blitzer running in his face, he did not tuck the ball, and in fact he never really tried. Cardinals then converted the turnover into the game-tying touchdown drive in regulation.
The game could still have been won through these mistakes, but the interception in overtime was the back breaker. Tannehill again had a free blitzer, but instead of eating the ball and taking a sack, he chose to throw the ball up for grabs. These are the kind of plays that are the difference between winning and losing. These are the kind of plays that define great QBs and guys who have great stats. Taking a sack and punting is sometimes the right choice.
The whispers of poor play calling by not running the ball on 2nd and eight insinuate Ryan Tannehill is incapable of leading the team to victory. Tannehill needs to learn how to win and for that to happen, he has to be put in a position to make the crucial plays. The play calling on the fumble was done to place the ball in the hands of the guy who needs to be the leader of this team.
Tannehill failed, and now his coach is being questioned, and teammates like Reggie Bush lament, “It’s very frustrating when you’re prepared for a team, you know what they’re going to do, and you still let them do it, great teams find ways to win games. Great teams don’t allow those things to happen. Obviously, we’re not there yet.”
Joe Philbin said it best in his press conference today, "This isn't a profession for the faint of heart. We have to accept responsibility for where we are at and still have faith and confidence that we're going to improve on a weekly basis." It’s sometimes easy to forget, Ryan Tannehill is a rookie. His play is better than any rookie on the Dolphins since 1983, but he still has a lot to learn.
To take the next step in his and the Dolphins evolution, Tannehill must understand, sometimes a sack is not a bad thing, sometimes a sack is the right thing. The golfers out there know what it feels like to hit a bad shot and then compound it by trying to be a hero on the next. After calling the wrong protection, do not compound the error by fluttering a pass in the process of taking a hit. Punt and depend on teammates to do their job.
If the Dolphins have any chance for a successful season Tannehill must learn, turnovers are always bad. Do not compound errors by trying to make plays when none are available. Teams begin stoking up the pressure as the games come to a close. It is up to Ryan Tannehill to find ways to win these close games, or the Miami Dolphin's season will end like Texas A&M's season.
What could have been, had the Dolphins come away with victories in close games...
Obviously a QB performs better in a win, than in a loss. The quandary in measuring statistical greatness in quarterbacks is whether individual performance numbers are more important than wins or losses. Dolphin fans have seen some of the greatest quarterback play in NFL history in a man named Dan Marino. What Dolphin fans did not celebrate were Super Bowl victories during Marino’s tenure.
Comparing any QB to Dan Marino, especially a rookie is not only wrong, but foolish, Marino is in the hall of fame and Ryan Tannehill can only dream of reaching those lofty standards. The point is, great stats can get a QB into the hall of fame, but wins get a QB a Super Bowl ring. Folks in Miami have seen admirable QB play, but after 40 years, the thirst for a Super Bowl victory is like finding an oasis after a long trek through the Arizona dessert.
The relevance of these statistical references to the Miami Dolphins comes when trying to understand whether Ryan Tannehill can lead the Dolphins to victory in closely contested football games. Take a moment to consider the following chart breaking down the results of how Ryan Tannehill performed in wins and losses at Texas A&M in 2011.
Mike Sherman is personally well aware of these numbers. It's a trend that continues with the Dolphins and must be addressed and rectified before Tannehill, and in turn the Dolphins can win these close games. Unfortunately the numbers do not lie and will follow Tannehill until he learns from his mistakes.
Poor execution by Tannehill on a pitch play to Reggie Bush early in the fourth quarter killed a promising drive. Tannehill missed Bush on the toss, resulting in a loss of 9 yards. With an opportunity to put Arizona away later in the fourth quarter, the Cards blitzed and according to Tannehill, “we had a little miscommunication up front...”
Richie Incognito missed the blitzer, but it is Tannehill who called the protection and he did not make the proper call. He got sacked and stripped of the ball, with a free blitzer running in his face, he did not tuck the ball, and in fact he never really tried. Cardinals then converted the turnover into the game-tying touchdown drive in regulation.
The game could still have been won through these mistakes, but the interception in overtime was the back breaker. Tannehill again had a free blitzer, but instead of eating the ball and taking a sack, he chose to throw the ball up for grabs. These are the kind of plays that are the difference between winning and losing. These are the kind of plays that define great QBs and guys who have great stats. Taking a sack and punting is sometimes the right choice.
The whispers of poor play calling by not running the ball on 2nd and eight insinuate Ryan Tannehill is incapable of leading the team to victory. Tannehill needs to learn how to win and for that to happen, he has to be put in a position to make the crucial plays. The play calling on the fumble was done to place the ball in the hands of the guy who needs to be the leader of this team.
Tannehill failed, and now his coach is being questioned, and teammates like Reggie Bush lament, “It’s very frustrating when you’re prepared for a team, you know what they’re going to do, and you still let them do it, great teams find ways to win games. Great teams don’t allow those things to happen. Obviously, we’re not there yet.”
Joe Philbin said it best in his press conference today, "This isn't a profession for the faint of heart. We have to accept responsibility for where we are at and still have faith and confidence that we're going to improve on a weekly basis." It’s sometimes easy to forget, Ryan Tannehill is a rookie. His play is better than any rookie on the Dolphins since 1983, but he still has a lot to learn.
To take the next step in his and the Dolphins evolution, Tannehill must understand, sometimes a sack is not a bad thing, sometimes a sack is the right thing. The golfers out there know what it feels like to hit a bad shot and then compound it by trying to be a hero on the next. After calling the wrong protection, do not compound the error by fluttering a pass in the process of taking a hit. Punt and depend on teammates to do their job.
If the Dolphins have any chance for a successful season Tannehill must learn, turnovers are always bad. Do not compound errors by trying to make plays when none are available. Teams begin stoking up the pressure as the games come to a close. It is up to Ryan Tannehill to find ways to win these close games, or the Miami Dolphin's season will end like Texas A&M's season.
What could have been, had the Dolphins come away with victories in close games...
Ryan Tannehill Falls Short of Rookie Record as Miami Dolphins Lose in Overtime
Miami Dolphins rookie QB Ryan Tannehill threw for a career-high 431 passing yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs as the Dolphins fell to the Arizona Cardinals 21-24 in overtime.
Tannehill was one yard short of tying the rookie QB record of most passing yards of 432 set by Cam Newton last season. Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline set a Dolphins franchise record with 253 receiving yards and a touchdown. The previous record was held by Chris Chambers with 238 yards.
I have long been a doubter of Brian Hartline, and I have no choice but to take back everything that I have ever said about him. He was everywhere, and you have to believe that he is helping Ryan Tannehill's development tremendously. Hartline now leads the NFL in receiving yards, and I'm pretty sure that he's up near the top in receptions, too.
Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter missed yet another field goal this week. No, we can't pin this entire loss on him, but that field goal turned out to be crucial because both teams were tied at the end of regulation. We cannot afford to continue missing field goals like this, which is why I think it's time that we get rid of Carpenter (if we can find an adequate replacement, of course). He was a big reason Miami lost in two straight games, and if he had just done his job who knows what position the Dolphins would be in right now.
Miami's defensive line didn't have any problems getting pressure this week. They sacked Kevin Kolb 8 times on Sunday. Cameron Wake had 4.5 sacks after not getting a single sack through the first three weeks. I think we can safely say that Wake isn't having any troubles this year. I actually predicted that Wake would get a minimum of two sacks on twitter, but I didn't see this coming. Wake was incredibly dominant, and the pressure he got was extremely helpful on defense. We didn't get the win this week, but if Wake and the rest of the Dolphins defensive line is able to play close to that level then we should be fine.
Turnovers hurt the Dolphins this week. Tannehill threw two picks and lost a fumble. His first one can be chalked up as Brian Hartline's fault. Hartline slipped and the ball went right into the defender's hands. I know I talked Brian Hartline up earlier, but I do have to say this. I've noticed that Hartline tends to slip an abnormal amount of times when he is on a comeback route. I'm not saying that he's a bad receiver, because obviously he's a pretty darn good one. I'm just saying that he needs to work on it. Tannehill's other interception was in overtime, and he was being hit as he threw the ball. I won't give him much fault for that one either.
Legedu freaking Naanee finally got his first catch of the season, but wouldn't you know he fumbled it as soon as he gained possession and the Cardinals returned it to Miami's three yard line. Thankfully Sean Smith was able to come up with the interception after getting away with a pass interference no-call. Naanee has been an extreme disappointment, and I can't help but think his time in Miami will come to a close after this season (maybe sooner).
This is the second week where I felt like the Dolphins were the better team in a losing effort. Turnovers and the missed FG were really what bit us in the butt in the end.
I am extremely encouraged by the young Ryan Tannehill's performance. He was dangerous this week, and you can really see that how much he is developing. I think that I might go back and watch him in the Texans game just to see how different he looks now compared to then. The more I watch the more I'm convinced that he is finally the quarterback we've been yearning for all this time.
Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
Kenny put up a play by play in the forums. Click here to check it out.
Kenny put up a play by play in the forums. Click here to check it out.
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