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By: Brandon Liguori Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins are a 1-6 football team after seven weeks of play. Is this a surprise? You bet it is. Miami’s latest loss came Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium in a back-and-forth contest vs. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons, 30-28 and for the second consecutive Sunday, Flores’ team loses on a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds. “We didn’t do a good enough job. They made some plays. Threw it to Pitts on the over route on the nine ball. Weren’t able to stop them there at the end,” Flores said. The Dolphins were so close to putting an end to their frustrating five-game losing streak that dates back to Sept. 19, but Kyle Pitts’ game-high 163 receiving yards on seven receptions and Matt Ryan’s 336 yards and two touchdowns kept Miami winless since their dramatic season-opening victory in Foxborough.  Tua Tagovailoa, playing in the midst of the Deshaun Watson trade rumors, put together his second consecutive respectable Sunday, logging a career-high four touchdown passes. The four scores were Tua’s positive Sunday, but two questionable interceptions, one on the very next play off a defensive turnover for the second game in a row, were his negative.
“I think the margin for error is slim in this league. That’s kind of what ‘Flo’ has been telling us this entire week and I think we had many opportunities to get good drives going. We just didn’t make use of those opportunities that the defense gave us,” Tagovailoa said. Is there a legitimate possibility Tagovailoa played his final professional football game as a member of Stephen Ross’s Miami Dolphins? Yes, but who really knows what is going to happen before Nov. 2, the NFL’s trade deadline? One can almost guarantee that, despite being a professional football player, it has to be somewhat of a distraction to be the quarterback of a franchise that is thinking about moving you to another organization within the next week. Regardless of who is under center for the Dolphins, this group is undergoing a current six-game losing streak, hesitant as to whether Tua Tagovailoa is their franchise-changing quarterback or not and their next opponent is the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills, who gave Flores’ squad a 35-0 beatdown in Week 2. Sigh.
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By: Hussam Patel This past weekend, Iowa went down at home to unranked Purdue. Riley Moss’ absence was felt by the Hawkeyes, and the Boilermakers took advantage of that. Alabama bounced back, Georgia continued to dominate, Oklahoma is inching back toward Natty thanks to Caleb Williams, and the ending to the Ole Miss – Tennessee game put all of Knoxville on tilt. As if all of this wasn’t enough, Appalachian State upset #14 Coastal Carolina. Let's check out this week’s slate of games: Wisconsin vs. Purdue
Players to Watch Wisconsin: Graham Mertz, Chez Mellusi, Jake Ferguson, Tyler Beach, Kayden Lyles, Keanu Benton, Jack Sanborn, Leo Chenal, Scott Nelson Purdue: Tyler Witt, David Bell, George Karlaftis, Christopher Jefferson Prediction: Wisconsin 20, Purdue 14 USC vs. Notre Dame
Players to Watch: USC: Kedon Slovis, Keontay Ingram, Drake London, Brandon Pili, Drake Jackson, Isaiah Pola-Mao Notre Dame:Jack Coan, Kyren Williams, Micheal Mayer, Cain Madden, Jaret Patterson, Kyle Hamilton, Isaiah Foskey Prediction: Notre Dame 33, USC 21 Clemson vs. Pittsburgh
Players to Watch: Clemson: D.J. Uiagalelei, Kobe Peace, Joe Ngata, Jordan McFadden, Will Putnam, Bryan Breese, Tyler Davis, Myles Murphy, James Skalski, Baylon Spector, Andrew Booth Jr. Pittsburgh: Kenny Pickett, Calijah Kancey, Deslin Alexandre, Cam Bright, Prediction: Pittsburgh 24, Clemson 21  By: Jason Sarney Miami is set to face off against Jacksonville in London today at 9:30 AM EST. This will be the 5th regular-season game MIA has played in London, yet it’s the first time MIA will play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium MIA is 1-3 in London games and 5-5 against JAX in their all-time series. -In the DIG DEEP section of MIA positive stats - I got ya. They are top-5 (5th) in the NFL in opponent punt return yardage with just 6.1 per return. Somewhere, Michael Palardy and Mack Hollins appreciate this. Palardy has 7 Punts inside the 20 in the last 3 games. -The Jaguars are dead last in the NFL in takeaways. They have one more, collectively, than I do. -The Dolphins are 2nd in the NFL in quarterback hits (38) and tied for 6th in passes defended (24). I'm scratching my head and wondering things when looking at these numbers. -The Jaguars have 11 turnovers this season and a (-10) differential. Their 11 turnovers are 2nd-most in NFL. This is a matchup Miami should.....SHOULD...get turnovers and protect the ball.  -As a once Dolphins head coach, even Adam Gase rattled off a 6 game win streak…… When sitting at 1-4……. And made the playoffs. Just. Putting. This. Out. There. -The Jaguars have allowed over 90 rushing yards from their opponents in all but 1 game. They allowed 160 rushing yards Week 1 and 184 last week. -It's a very small sample size, but when Tua Tagovailoa threw to Preston Williams, he had a QB Rating of 101.5 -With Xavien Howard OUT and Byron Jones questionable, Noah Igbinoghene dressing or not will answer pretty much all the questions. Something to track. -Nik Needham will be on an international stage at his natural position. The outside. As a rookie he played in place of Xavien Howard when the all pro was hurt. Needham is a major player to watch this weekend. -Kirk Merritt has played 1 official offensive snap in his Dolphins career. 7 on ST. He is looking for his first official reception as a pro. He was undrafted in 2020. Isaiah Ford, from Jacksonville, is looking for his 1st professional TD. Ford had 2 catches in 2020 vs. Jax. -Yes , MIA has been scary to watch early on however, if history is a guide & hopeful trend, here's something to keep in mind. In Brian Flores’ 1st 2 seasons as MIA HC his teams improved as the season moved on. He’s 12-6 in games after Halloween, with 6-3 marks in both NOV & DEC. -It's VITAL Miami gets off to a fast start against JAX tomorrow. In an early bright spot, early on in games, so far in 2021, Miami is 4th in the NFL averaging 6.8 points per first quarter. - Mike Gesicki is in his 4th season w/ MIA & was selected in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft, 42nd overall. He has increased his receptions, yardage & TD totals in each of his 1st 3 NFL seasons. He is now among the most decorated tight ends in Dolphins history. (Keep him) -Fantasy Owners and Gesicki-ites. Gesicki has 12 TD receptions in his past 26 games, which is fourth-most by an NFL tight end in that span. He and Darren Waller are the only NFL Tight Ends this season to catch 10 passes in one game so far. - Myles Gaskin (no S at the end, people) is averaging 59.6 yards per game from scrimmage in 5 contests so far in 2021. Last season, his weekly average was 97 yards from scrimmage. Hence - get Myles (yes, an S at the end here) involved more. Last week was a good start. -Christian Wilkins Career Progression Tweet: In 2021, so far, he has already equaled his seasonal high in tackles for loss. Five games in. He has 4 TFLs at the moment. - UDFA CB, Nik Needham, who will likely be (and is better) on the outside tomorrow as a CB1 or CB2, leads All Miami Dolphins cornerbacks in tackles with 21 this year. -Jaelan Phillips has 1.5 sacks in his last two games. He has 4 QB hits in those games and a Tackle for Loss. He played in 77% of the snaps last week, 41% the week prior, and 59% the week before that. He is yet to be unleashed.... He will be soon. Now's a good time. By: Chip Turner There’s a great line from a great movie that I won’t wax poetic about, because the entire Dolphins fanbase is tired. So, very simply, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” And that’s really the crux of why I didn’t want to write this article. Because this season, a season full of promise and hope, is in a metaphorical death spiral into the depths of the AFC. Welcome to Week Six of the 2021 Miami Dolphins season. This season has gone wrong in a spectacular variety of ways. This wouldn't be unusual as most Dolphins seasons have gone recently, but this offesason and preseason gave rise to much anticipation, so the Dolphins’ cratering has evoked a particularly vehement response. And justifiably so. In one day, we’re going to find out if this season is salvageable. Tua Tagovailoa is expected to start against the Jaguars. The Jaguars aren’t good. They’re actually spectacularly bad. Miami SHOULD eviscerate them. Now, quick show of hands: Who is genuinely confident that the Dolphins will eviscerate the Jaguars? Yeah, me either. There are considerable problems on the Miami Dolphins. And, as a huge supporter and believer of Brian Flores and Chris Grier, it pains me to say this, but they need to be addressed. Right now. Maybe things turn around tomorrow. And…I hope they do. But I have zero confidence that they will, so we’re gonna get a few things out of the way.  NUMBER ONE:
The Miami Dolphins no longer have a talent issue. They don’t. You can argue with me all you want about this, but there simply isn’t a curse over Hard Rock Stadium that magically makes players suck. Rookies Jaylen Waddle, Jaelan Phillps, and Jevon Holland have all shown flashes of absolute brilliance. There have been FIVE offensive linemen drafted in the past two years. Will Fuller was brought in. DeVante Parker is tremendously talented. So is Preston Williams. So is Albert Wilson. All of these players SHOULD be producing consistently, but aren’t. Why is that? We’ll get back to that shortly. NUMBER TWO: The Miami Dolphins are tremendously inexperienced at every level. The head coach is in his third year. The DC is in his second. The OCs are in their first. The OL coach is in his first. The DB coach is in his second. The cornerbacks coach is in his first. Rather than continue this exercise, I’ll just say that the ONLY coaches on the staff with more than three years of experience (at their current position) on the entire team are Dave Puloka and Jim Arthur. Dave Puloka and Jim Arthur are the Strength and Conditioning coaches. As far as the roster, there is a tremendous lack of experience at almost every position. There’s talent, but little veteran leadership. At best, this was going to lead to growing pains. Currently, it’s led to considerable (and increasing) agony. So, who’s accountable for this? We’ll get back to that shortly, too. NUMBER THREE: The Miami Dolphins have a talent evaluation problem. This is the one that really irks me, because it’s more than just a drafting problem. It’s not just that Miami doesn’t know how to evaluate talent in the draft, because that isn’t entirely true. It’s partially that, and it’s partially that the extremely inexperienced staff apparently has absolutely no idea how to properly use the talent they have. There is no reason that Jaylen Waddle should be running seven-yard comeback routes. There is absolutely no reason that Austin Jackson should have regressed from an ascending rookie last year to a borderline unplayable offensive lineman. There is absolutely no reason that offensive linemen who were cut by the Dolphins during the preseason are performing extremely well on other teams, while the Dolphins can’t assemble an offensive line that can keep a QB healthy for more than a game, using the linemen they kept. And there is no reason that the Miami Dolphins have gotten almost zero results out of a plethora of early-round draft picks over the past three years, except for one specific reason. And that is.... NUMBER FOUR: The Miami Dolphins have a coaching problem. I think, up to this year, Brian Flores did an admirable job as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. But this year, he deserves every bit of the criticism he’s received. One of the main jobs of a head coach is to put his players and staff in a position to succeed. And the deeper you dig into what’s happened so far in 2021, the more you realize that Flores didn’t do that. If anything, he set the whole team up to fail. A very young team, a very inexperienced staff, and continual turnover at many key coaching positions has led to one very unfortunate conclusion that a lot of people have danced around. It’s something that a lot of people, myself included, are very reluctant to say. But it needs to be said: The Miami Dolphins look like they don’t have any idea what they’re doing this year. Not only are there very young and inexperienced players, but also these players are being led by a very young and inexperienced staff. There was definitely a plan in place by Flores early on, but he assembled such an inexperienced staff and team that they’re simply incapable of achieving it. Their offense isn’t working. Their defense isn’t working. Their special teams isn’t working. And the schemes that are being utilized don't make any sense. And the guy on the hook for this is Flores…or at least he should be. He’s the chef of this particular stew, and so far it smells rancid. I truly hope the team turns it around tomorrow morning. Tua is back, and then there are a handful of games coming up against bad teams. Maybe the offense clicks. Maybe the defense stops getting gashed. Maybe, just maybe, this team comes together and rallies to save the season. Maybe the whole organization matures in the heat of battle and works together as a finely-tuned machine. But do you really believe that’s going to happen? Yeah, me either. By: Hussam Patel Texas A&M was able to take down the Alabama Crimson Tide in College Station in one of the biggest upsets of the season so far. Lincoln Riley did the unimaginable and pulled Spencer Rattler out of the game and put in Freshman Kaleb Williams who led the Sooners to a comeback of the ages. Williams, looks to start against TCU. Cincinnati is ranked inside the top 3 for the first time in its history and could make the CFB playoffs, a big win for the G5 schools. Let's look forward to this week’s games Texas vs. Oklahoma St.
Players to Watch: Texas: Casey Thompson, Bijan Robinson, Jordan Whittington, Xavier Worthy, Derek Kersetter, Junior Angilou, Alfred Collins, De’Marvion Overshown Oklahoma State: Spencer Sanders, Dezmon Jackson, Josh Sills, Hunter Woodard, Tyler Lacy, Devin Harper, Tre Sterling Prediction: Texas 37, OkSt 30 Georgia vs. Kentucky
Georgia: Zamir White, James Cook, Kearis Jackson, Arik Gilbert, Jamaree Salyer, Justin Shaffer, Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Adam Anderson, Derion Kendrick, Tykee Smith, Lewis Cine Kentucky: Chris Rodriguez, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darian Kinnard, Dare Rosenthal, Jordan Wright, Carrington Valentine, Yusuf Corker Prediction: Georgia 33, Kentucky 20  Michigan State vs. Indiana
Players to Watch: Michigan State: Payton Thorne, Kenneth Walker III, Jailen Nailor, JD Duplain, Maverick Hansen, Quavaris Crouch, Angelo Grose Indiana: Ty Fryfogle, Peyton Hendershot, Micah McFadden, Taiwan Mullen, Marcelino McCrary Ball, Devon Matthews Prediction:- Michigan State 31, Indiana 13 By: Brandon Liguori It is a very difficult challenge to secure a victory in the National Football League, but Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1), fresh off a tight two-point victory last Sunday night against the New England Patriots, took care of Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins (1-4) Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium in comfortable fashion, 45-17. “That’s a hard question to ask. It comes down to just execution. We are not executing at all. That’s the main thing,” a frustrated Jerome Baker said after Miami’s 28-point defeat. Tom Brady, facing the Dolphins for the first time as a Buccaneer, shredded Miami for 411 passing yards and five touchdown tosses, two to Mike Evans. Josh Boyer’s unit, for the third time in five games, has coughed up 30 or more points and for a young, dangerous defense that had such high expectations, it has not gone in Miami’s favor thus far. Miami jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and Myles Gaskin’s second touchdown of the first half saw the Dolphins go ahead by three, 10-7, but aside from that, Brady took command Sunday. Flores knew his team would have to execute the game plan perfectly from start to finish and his team did not do that.  “It’s obviously a good offense, so the idea was to have good communication and try to disguise a little bit. We weren’t really able to execute any part of it,” Flores said, whose team has now lost four consecutive since a 17-16 season-opening win against Mac Jones’ New England Patriots.
Give credit to quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who likely will head back to the bench next Sunday morning in Miami’s Week 6 contest against the 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Why? Tua Tagovailoa, who was placed on IR three weeks ago because of fractured ribs, is eligible to come off the injured list and start for the first time since Miami’s disastrous 35-0 loss in its home opener vs. the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback conversation can be put aside, however, because whether it’s Brissett or Tagovailoa under center, this team will have a difficult time earning their second win of 2021 if the defense allows over 500 total yards like they did this afternoon. The third-down defense Sunday? It was flat-out atrocious, too, as Brady’s unit finished 8-of-11 on the all-important down. The Buccaneers’ offense scored on four of their five first-half drives, walking in the locker room with a 14-point cushion. At the end of the day, Flores’ football team is 1-4 after five weeks of play and Flores’ football team is pretty much a defensive play away from staring at an abysmal 0-5 start. Next Sunday’s coaching battle features Flores and Urban Meyer; two energetic, interesting men. Grab your popcorn, folks. By: Hussam Patel It’s looking like Clemson will be left out of the College Football Playoffs for the first time since its inception. Cincinnati was able to take down the Fighting Irish in South Bend. Both Alabama and Georgia managed to defend their co-dominance of the SEC against Ole Miss and Arkansas respectively. Michigan continues to win because of their defense. Let's look forward to this weeks games Oklahoma vs Texas, RED RIVER SHOWDOWN!
Players to Watch: Oklahoma: Spencer Rattler, Kennedy Brooks, Marvin Mims, Marquis Hayes, Tyrese Robinson, Perrion Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto, Brian Asamoah, Key Lawerence Texas: Bijan Robinson, Jordan Whittington, Derek Kersetter, Junior Angilou, Alfred Collins, De’Marvion Overshown Prediction: Oklahoma 45, Texas 42  Arkansas vs. Ole Miss
Players to Watch: Arkansas: KJ Jefferson, Trelon Smith, Treylon Burks, Myron Cunningham, Ricky Stromberg, Jalen Catalon Ole Miss: Matt Corral, Jerion Ealy, Dontario Drummond, Tariqious Tisdale, Sam Williams, Chance Campbell, Tylan Knight Prediction: Arkansas 28, Ole Miss 27 Penn State vs. Iowa
Players to watch: Penn State: Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson, Rasheed Walker, Caedan Wallace, Adisa Isaac, PJ Mustipher, Brandon Smith, Tariq Castro-Fields, Jaquan Brisker Iowa: Spencer Patras, Sam LaPorta, Tyler Linderbaum, Jack Campbell, Riley Moss, Jack Koerner Prediction: Iowa 13, Penn State 10 By: Matthew Morin The Miami Dolphins sent slot receiver Jakeem Grant to the Chicago Bears for a 2023 6th round pick earlier this afternoon, initially reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, thus ending the 4 year marriage between Miami and the speedy Texas Tech University product. This doesn’t come as a surprise to some people, as Jakeem’s role has steadily decreased in past weeks. When Miami selected Grant back in 2016, they envisioned a slot receiver with incredible speed (Grant recorded a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine) who could make winning plays from time to time. Even though he isn’t the most imposing physical specimen at 5’8 & 160 pounds, Grant still managed to deliver some memorable kick/punt returns during his tenure in Miami...as well as when he lined up as a traditional slot receiver. However, recently and somewhat in the past, Grant had his fair share of turnover struggles. His hands as a pass catcher also haven’t been regarded as the most reliable.  This sentiment came to life again this past weekend. With a little over 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter of Sunday’s game against the Colts, Grant muffed a punt that basically eliminated any chance of Miami building some momentum to possibly come back and win the game. Grant’s body language spoke for itself after the play, his day was done shortly after.
Miami went on to lose to Indianapolis, 27-17, falling to 1-3 on the season. Coach Brian Flores alluded to him and his team needing to turn things around in today’s press conference, “We are re-evaluating everything, the whole operation , down to the way we practice...we have to do everything better.” Quotes like this and a trade of a featured target on an already struggling offense is worrisome, and rightfully so. Miami now ranks second to last in the NFL in total yards for the season, while averaging 15.5 PPG as an offense. Not the most amusing stats in the world, but a necessary topic of discussion to say the least. One positive: with Grant on his way to Chicago, this will give rookie Jaylen Waddle more of an opportunity to showcase his skill set on special teams seeing as Grant was the main returner on Punt and Kickoff for Miami. Waddle can now step in and flash his own game-breaking ability (hopefully without the muffed punts).
By: Jason Sarney
While things in life are rarely “Perfect,” one man arguably could claim to have been. The Miami Dolphins honored legendary coach, Don Shula, the ceremony on Saturday The event was extremely well done by all parties involved, and included many surprise guests including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who spoke, as well as Pro Football Hall of Fame President, David Baker. This was nearly the "perfect" start to a "perfect" weekend.
Shula, the architect of all things Miami Dolphins, created so much within the organization, the NFL, the Miami sports scene, as well as an arena this franchise has "perfected" following his lead, philanthropy and charity in community. While this piece is not a “game” or “football” oriented one, per say, it is a recognition of greatness, both on and off the field, in the past and in the hopeful future. Focusing on the winning aspect of the weekend, personally, there was a first for me and a goal reached that only could have been accomplished with the help and support I have been fortunate to receive from several people, especially Jason Jenkins, who gave PhinManiacs the opportunity to be credentialed for the Miami Dolphins Press Box. For yours truly, it had been a goal since the time Don Shula roamed the sidelines, and ironically, at 40 years old, a dream was reached, the same age Coach started his run with the Dolphins. As a New Yorker, I have moments in the 1990’s, not seasons of live viewing. This because of it being pre-DirecTV and pre-internet, games in my living room were scarce. A cut-in to a 1993 Eagles game, where Coach became the NFL’s alll-time winningest coach, was a moment I was lucky enough to view live, as it happened, still wearing my shin guards from my earlier afternoon soccer game. My life, childhood, and the Peter-Pan version of my adulthood, has been cloaked in aqua and orange and while the last few decades have hurt, the pride will never leave me. The reasons are beyond wins and losses. As Owner Stephen Ross said, “Don Shula is the Miami Dolphins.”
Not only a surrogate father to his players, but a role-model to individuals looking to be their best selves, because that is what Shula demanded, and brought out in people. His was a life led by example, and hearing even broadcasting legend Jim Gray talk about his “Dear Friend,” coach Don Shula, the gravity of his importance on the world truly hit me.
Shula embodies everything the Miami Dolphins mean to me today, as well as so many fans. The charity works with local community programs like Football Unites, as well as the Dolphins phenomenal efforts in the world of cancer research. The DCC, The Dolphins Challenge Cancer, has its roots in the Don Shula Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
Without Coach Shula, millions of dollars would not have been raised. This tradition is still continued in Miami, and the Dolphins are one of the best in sports in these efforts and endeavors. Just listen to Nat Moore...
In terms of on field, it’s time to channel the ways of Don Shula, and his teams of the 1970’s and 1980’s. A passion and dedication for excellence, on and off the field. To me, that is Don Shula, and thanks to him, the Miami Dolphins are an organization to be proud to support, through thick and thin.
While frustrating, lets us all remember what Dolphin great Larry Csonka said to the Saturday crowd to a massive ovation…”When Don Shula came to the Dolphins, we were the worst team in football...Four years later, we were the best team in history.”
By: Brandon Liguori Honoring one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Football League in Don Shula was going to provide a major spark for Brian Flores’ desperate Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon vs. the winless Indianapolis Colts (1-3), right? Nope.
For the second time this season, the Miami Dolphins (1-3) were bullied at Hard Rock Stadium in front of their home crowd, 27-17 and the score seemed closer than the game played out. “I think we played bad across the board: offensively, defensively, in the kicking game, drops, penalties, turnovers. I mean we played poorly really across the board, so we got a lot we got to fix, a lot of things we got to correct,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said. Jacoby Brissett, in for Tua Tagovailoa for the second consecutive week due to injury, struggled. Brissett, a former Colt, tossed his only touchdown of the day to Mike Gesicki in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late for an offense that managed to gain just 203 total yards on 49 plays. “It for sure is frustrating, and it’s all on us, and we’re putting our defense in bad situations and things of that nature,” a disappointed Brissett said. There is a stronger word to use than “disappointed.” Indianapolis came into this match without five of their starters, three of which were on defense and at the end of the day, Carson Wentz, knowing his football team was in a must-win spot, delivered with ease. Wentz finished the game throwing for 210 yards and two touchdown passes. “It feels great. I feel like I got the monkey off my back a little bit, for me and the team,” Wentz said. Jason Sanders’ early field goal in the first quarter put the Dolphins in front, 3-0, a lead the team and fans would not enjoy for very, very long. What did Frank Reich’s group do to get their offense going? Score 20 unanswered points. Folks, I really do not want to say this, but this Miami Dolphins football team is bad. Really, really bad. If it wasn’t for a late Xavien Howard fumble recovery in Miami’s season-opening 17-16 victory against Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots, this team would be staring at an 0-4 start after four weeks of play. They are not 0-4, but at 1-3 and with a date next Sunday against Tom Brady and the dangerous Tampa Bay Buccaneers on deck, scary times in Miami Gardens lie ahead and Halloween is 28 days away. By: Brandon Liguori Honoring one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Football League in Don Shula was going to provide a major spark for Brian Flores’ desperate Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon vs. the winless Indianapolis Colts (1-3), right? Nope.
For the second time this season, the Miami Dolphins (1-3) were bullied at Hard Rock Stadium in front of their home crowd, 27-17 and the score seemed closer than the game played out. “I think we played bad across the board: offensively, defensively, in the kicking game, drops, penalties, turnovers. I mean we played poorly really across the board, so we got a lot we got to fix, a lot of things we got to correct,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said. Jacoby Brissett, in for Tua Tagovailoa for the second consecutive week due to injury, struggled. Brissett, a former Colt, tossed his only touchdown of the day to Mike Gesicki in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late for an offense that managed to gain just 203 total yards on 49 plays. “It for sure is frustrating, and it’s all on us, and we’re putting our defense in bad situations and things of that nature,” a disappointed Brissett said. There is a stronger word to use than “disappointed.” Indianapolis came into this match without five of their starters, three of which were on defense and at the end of the day, Carson Wentz, knowing his football team was in a must-win spot, delivered with ease. Wentz finished the game throwing for 210 yards and two touchdown passes. “It feels great. I feel like I got the monkey off my back a little bit, for me and the team,” Wentz said. Jason Sanders’ early field goal in the first quarter put the Dolphins in front, 3-0, a lead the team and fans would not enjoy for very, very long. What did Frank Reich’s group do to get their offense going? Score 20 unanswered points. Folks, I really do not want to say this, but this Miami Dolphins football team is bad. Really, really bad. If it wasn’t for a late Xavien Howard fumble recovery in Miami’s season-opening 17-16 victory against Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots, this team would be staring at an 0-4 start after four weeks of play. They are not 0-4, but at 1-3 and with a date next Sunday against Tom Brady and the dangerous Tampa Bay Buccaneers on deck, scary times in Miami Gardens lie ahead and Halloween is 28 days away.
By: Jason Sarney
The Miami Dolphins face-off against the Indianapolis Colts today at 1:00 at Hard Rock Stadium, presented by Pepsi. The 1-2 Dolphins look to get to .500 and keep the 0-3 Colts out of the Win Column.
With about an hour prior to kick-off, it was announced that Preston Williams, Noah Igbinoghene and Hunter Long will not be active today. The Dolphins have been dealing with injuries, must notably of course to Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, which is leading to Jacoby Brissett getting another start. Brissett, who completed 32 passes last week against the Raiders in a comeback effort that feel short, played admirably, and even scrambled for a 4th quarter score, then added a 2-point conversion pass to Will Fuller to force overtime. That was last week, and the Dolphins have to right the ship, after dropping two in a row, following a Week 1 road win against New England. Helping Miami’s cause today, is the infirmary that is the Indianapolis Colts roster at the moment, as they have nearly a dozen scratched players. For Miami to be successful today, they must sack Carson Wentz, and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. The more duress Wentz will be in, can only be amplified by the stress of the 90 degree heat, as the sun will be beaming on the Colts sidelines, while Miami will be cool and comfortable in the shade.
Sticking with the defense, Miami looks to continue their turnover streak, currently at 25 games. Xavien Howard has created two of those turnovers, and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah already has 7 QB hits, which is top-4 in the NFL, so sacks should come soon for the free agent to be.
For the Dolphins to be successful today, there has to be an offensive identity, something that has been lacking this season, as there seems to be a three-headed monster calling the plays or at least attempting to, in co-coordinators Eric Studesvill and George Godsey, along with QB Coach Charlie Frye. On the heels of a Saturday afternoon honoring Don Shula, perhaps there could be a “winning edge” today in Miami Gardens.
By: Jason Sarney
On the eve of a Week 4 game against the first team Don Shula coached in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins brought out the legends to honor the patriarch of this Franchise. Miami Dolphins legends, broadcasting greats, an NFL Commissioner, a Miami Archbishop, and family members spoke eloquent and moving words about the winningest coach in NFL history.
"Don Shula is the Miami Dolphins..." said owner Stephen Ross as he closed the ceremony. Prior to his words, players like Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Bob Baumhower, John Offerdahl, Larry Little and of course Dan Marino, shared theirs. The Dolphins organization put together a terrific tribute, and with a must win game today against that first NFL team Shula coached, the winless Colts come to Hard Rock Stadium. Regardless of what happens today on the field, some of the best take-aways from yesterday's tribute focused on Don Shula's importance off the field. I had the opportunity to ask former Fin wide receiver, Nat Moore about his memories of Shula off the field, and here is what he told me: It was great to listen and learn.
The legend of Don Shula goes beyond his NFL record 347 victories and two Lombardi Trophies. He spent 21 years on the NFL's competition committee and as Commissioner Rodger Goodell said, "he changed the game, and made it better."
He also contributed philanthropically. In addition to supporting United Way, Shula developed the Don Shula Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Foundation was a precursor to October's Crucial Catch initiative the NFL takes such pride in, and rightfully so. Shula was more than a football coach. He was an icon in sport, philanthropy, hospitality and community; the words used to sum up his life are, "Faith. Family. Football. Community." One thing is certain, Coach Don Shula is a Hall of Famer in all of those areas. He coached eight Hall of Fame Players, and as Jimmy Cefalo told us all, he helped his players make the right decisions in their careers and life. Don Shula was a coach, a mentor, a father--figure, and an inspiration to so many. His influence was evident, as Larry Csonka (arguably the toughest Miami Dolphin player ever held back tears as he spoke glowing and lovely words about his Head Coach. The Head Coach who led the 1972 Miami Dolphins to the ONLY perfect season in NFL History. As Csonka told, when Shula took over the Miami Dolphins team..."we were the worst team in football, and four years later we were the best team ever." A "perfect" way to incapsulate the great coach ever, and arguably, one of the world's greatest human beings as well. Thank you, Coach.
By: Hussam Patel As we get into the Week 5 previews, we need to recap another crazy week of college football. We got a big upset with NC State beating Clemson in double overtime, No. 12 Notre Dame took care of business against No. 18 Wisconsin with a 41-13 win in Soldier Field in Chicago and 16 Arkansas beat No. 7 Texas A&M in AT&T Stadium in Dallas Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame
Players to watch: Notre Dame: Jack Coan, Kyren Williams, Micheal Mayer, Cain Madden, Jaret Patterson, Kyle Hamilton, Isaiah Foskey Cincinnati: Desmond Ridder, Jerome Ford, Josh Whyle, Myjai Sanders, Ahmad Gardner, Coby Bryant Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Cincinnati 21 Arkansas vs. Georgia
Arkansas: KJ Jefferson, Trelon Smith, Treylon Burks, Myron Cunningham, Ricky Stromberg, Jalen Catalon Georgia: J.T. Daniels, Zamir White, James Cook, Kearis Jackson, Arik Gilbert, Jamaree Salyer, Justin Shaffer, Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Adam Anderson, Derion Kendrick, Tykee Smith, Lewis Cine Prediction:- Georgia 33, Arkansas 21  Ole Miss vs. Alabama
Alabama: The entire Team Ole Miss: Matt Corral, Jerion Ealy, Dontario Drummond, Tariqious Tisdale, Sam Williams, Chance Campbell, Tylan Knight Prediction: Alabama 30, Ole Miss 23  
By: Jason Sarney
It is an extremely special weekend starting on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium as the Miami Dolphins franchise honors their greatest stalwart in the Organizations illustrious history. The life and career of Don Shula will be remembered and celebrated on Saturday, just a day before the Dolphins host the Indianapolis Colts, which was a franchise the man himself coached prior to joining the Miami Dolphins. 
-Dan Marino ALUMNI STATS vs. Colts 22-11 all-time:
624 - 1030 for a 60.58 completion % 54 Touchdowns 17 INTs a Career QB rating against IND of 93.7, which was the highest of his four AFC East rivals, IND at the time, NE, BUF and NYJ. He owned them. -MIA loves our UDFAs. What about Arena League stars? Oronde Gadsden was a beast and 1-handed catch OG. (see what I did there?) Against IND, an AFC East Rival in his day, in 9 games helped MIA to a 7-2 record in those contests with 28 receptions 452 yards, and 5 TDs. -ALUMNI STATS: Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain were a combined force for MIA - and pretty much dominated the COLTS Together, they were 7-4 against IND (8-4 Madison alone) and in 11 games combined for 5 INTs and 13 PDs in those games. -OJ McDuffie is the Miami Dolphins Best Friend to us all. He was also a Colt Killah' as we've joked about. Not only did Juice score his 1st NFL TD vs. INDY on a Punt under the lights here was his career against them as an AFC East Rival) 14 Games 49 - 659 - 6 TDs (1 PR).
There also is a rumor of a certain throwback logo being used this weekend but that's neither here nor there, and not up to me to speculate…so if it doesn’t happen, Blame Kyle Crabbs of Locked on Dolphins (He’s great!)
— Locked On Dolphins (@LockedOnPhins) September 29, 2021
Here are your Miami Dolphins News Notes and Nuggets for Week 4:
-Miami leads the all-time series against the Colts 48-27 including a 16-12 Win last meeting in 2019. -Jacoby Brissett Completed 32 passes against the Raiders. This is the most by a Miami QB making their first start with the team. -Jacoby Brissett was once a Colt: He played 4 seasons with Indy from 2017-20, appearing in 46 games with 30 starts. Brissett’s totals in Indianapolis include 552-of-928 passing (59.5 pct.) for 6,059 yards, 31 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a QB rating of 84.2. -Mike Gesicki’s 10 receptions were the most by a TE in team history & he joins Las Vegas’ Darren Waller (9/13/21 vs. Baltimore) as the only NFL TE with 10 receptions in a game this season. His 86 receiving yards were the ninth-most by an NFL tight end in a game this year. -Jaylen Waddle has 22 receptions this year, which is tied for 5th in the NFL through Week 3. Waddle’s 12 receptions at LV were the most by a Dolphins rookie in team history. -Miami’s defense has ranked among NFL's best in several categories so far in 2021. MIA is tied for 2nd in the NFL in fumble recoveries (3) & tied for 7th in takeaways (5) They are also 4th in the NFL in 1st-down success rate & only 42.1% of opposing 1st-down snaps have gained 4+ yards. -In Three 2021 games, the Miami Dolphins have had three different offensive line combinations. -For those that still don't think Xavien Howard is the NFL's best CB. He entered 2021 leading the NFL in INTs over the past 3 seasons. Howard was limited to just 5 games in 2019 & 12 in 2018 due to injury but still leads the NFL in interceptions dating back to 2017. -I'm just gonna leave this here: 
-Through 3 games of the 2021 season, Emmanuel Ogbah has recorded eight tackles, half a sack, 7 quarterback hits and one pass defended. The Raw Sack Stat will increase, but he is putting in work: Miami would be wise to retain him for the long haul.
-I preach patience to a relative extent: Mainly with rookies: Jaelan Phillips Snap Count progression: Week 1 - 29% DEF 24% ST Week 2 - 18% DEF 8% ST Week 3 - 59% DEF 6% ST It's almost like they are developing him He is getting his sea-legs I smell a sack SUN 
-Coach Shula's Celebration of Life I planned for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium.
By: Hussam Patel It was another wild week in college football! We’re starting to see what the rest of the season might look like. Nebraska snaps Oklahoma’s 65-game streak of scoring more than 27 points. The Florida Gators failed a 2 point conversion against Alabama in a game many decided the Crimson tide would win easily. The state of Michigan is kicking ass. Sparty is now 3-0, thanks to beating up the Hurricanes 38-17. Michigan smashed Northern Illinois 63-10. Penn State QB Sean Clifford was 28-32 for 280 yards, 2 tds. Nittany Lions defense legit, and are contenders for the Big Ten East crown. This year looks like CHAOS! 3 biggest games Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
Players to Watch: Notre Dame: Jack Coan, Kyren Williams, Micheal Mayer, Cain Madden, Jaret Patterson, Kyle Hamilton, Isaiah Foskey Wisconsin: Graham Mertz, Chez Mellusi, Jake Ferguson, Tyler Beach, Kayden Lyles, Keanu Benton, Jack Sanborn, Leo Chenal, Scott Nelson Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Wisconsin 23.  Texas A&M vs. Arkansas
Players to watch: Texas A&M: Isaiah Spiller, Ainias Smith, Jaylen Wydermyer, Kenyon Green, DeMarvin Leal, Tyree Johnson, Micheal Clemons, Aaron Hansford, Myles Jones, Jaylon Jones, Demani Richardson Arkansas: KJ Jefferson, Trelon Smith, Treylon Burks, Myron Cunningham, Ricky Stromberg, Jalen Catalon Prediction: Texas A&M 31, Arkansas 28. Tennessee vs. Florida
Players to Watch: Tennessee: Hendon Hooker, Jabari Small, Cade Mays, Aubrey Soloman, Alontae Taylor Florida: Anthony Richardson, Dameon Pierce, Jacob Copeland, Keon Zipperer, Stewart Reese, Zach Carter, Ventrell Miller, Brenton Cox Jr, Jeremiah Moon, Mohamoud Diabate, Kaiir Elam Prediction: Florida 34, Tennessee 24 By: Jason Sarney Following one of the most difficult losses to tolerate in recent memory, the Miami Dolphins get ready to travel across the country to Las Vegas to the scene of last season's most miraculous victory. The 1-1 Dolphins head to face-off against the 2-0 Raiders and look to get back on track following a miserable 35-0 home defeat to the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills. Last season, Miami pulled off a Miracle win on a Jason Sanders field goal, following a blind and facemask twisted heave by then Miami back-up QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Wide receiver Mack Hollins hauled in the hail-Mary prayer with a penalty added to boot, before Sanders’ boot to win it. Fitzpatrick, a back-up who was called upon when needed, got Miami a road win. Can Jacoby Brissett, a back-up QB by title and now starter by necessity, create some of last season’s Las Vegas "magic?" We will find out Sunday afternoon and until then, here are your Week 3 News and Notes heading into the Las Vegas Raiders Week 3 road match-up.  -MIA has won 7 of their past 8 games against the Raiders since the 2008 season. Miami has won 2 in a row against them, including a miraculous 26-25 win at Allegiant Stadium last year. -Last season Miami lost back-to-back games on one occurrence. Weeks 1 and 2 last season. -If MIA wins on Sunday, they will even up the all-time series with the Raiders. Currently, the LV/OAK/LA Raiders franchise has a 20-19-1 record against Miami, including the playoffs. -It's early in, but so far the Miami Dolphins Defense is Top 10 in: -Fumble recoveries - (1st in NFL) -Tied for 3rd in fewest plays allowed over 10 yards with 19 of them -9th in the NFL in yards allowed per play (5.28). -After two games the Raiders are the NFL's No. 1 team in passing offense with 391 yards per game. -Xavien Howard has faced the Raiders 3 times in his career. In those 3 games, he has 5 tackles, 2 INTs, and 5 Passes Defended. -Andrew Van Ginkel got himself 2 sacks last year against Las Vegas. Bet ya he gets one again.... -In his 9 career games against the Raiders, Albert Wilson averages 20.67 yards per reception. 18 catches for 372 yards and a pair of TDs, one being a long of 74. -Miami as a defense has 17 QB hits, yet a combined 1 sack. 0.5 for Ogbah and 0.5 for Van Ginkel. 17 QB hits, 1 sack. The sacks will come. -5 different Dolphins have caused fumbles. In two games. -So far, Mack Hollins leads the Dolphins in Special Teams tackles with 3. -The last the Dolphins returned an opening Kick-off for a TD was 1971. Mercury Morris. -Xavien Howard has had 2 INT games. Can he ever get a hat-trick? Last time that happened for MIA was back in 1999 when Sam Madison picked off 3 against Tennessee and the late-great, Steve McNair. MIA won 17-0. The Dolphins face the Colts next week at home and have a great chance to right the ship before meeting the Buccaneers Week 5, regardless of his is the captain at the wheel.  PhinManiacs LIVE - Brandon Liguori Welcomes Josh Moser - @TheMozKnowz By: Jason Sarney In mere hours, the Miami Dolphins will open up their home season at Hard Rock Stadium with an AFC East divisional matchup against the rival Buffalo Bills. Although the Dolphins have an impressive 24-15 record at home since the 2016 season, and a 5-3 home record from last season, they have lost the last five games against Buffalo including last year's Week 17 blowout loss 56-26. Miami goes into this game 1-0, while Buffalo at 0-1 are already in a very difficult position should they lose this game to the Dolphins, and drop to 0-2. If this happens, both Buffalo losses would be from AFC teams, which could bite them come December. The Dolphins defense surely remembers last year's finale, so expect a heated unit to come out pressuring Josh Allen, as sacks and QB pressures are of the utmost importance today in order to make the Buffalo QB uncomfortable, unlike last year against Miami.  Of the field, going into this game there is a bit of a distraction following the news of wide receiver Will Fuller not playing Sunday, as well as the rest of the season being in doubt for the newly acquired free agent. In a late week press conference, Brian Flores informed reporters that Fuller will not play Week 2, as there is clearly a potentially serious issue he is dealing with. While it is not the job here to speculate on details, it’s a situation I can only wish and hope for the best for Fuller and his family. As for Flores and his comments regarding Fuller, he said on Friday, “Will will not practice today. He will not play on Sunday. He’s dealing with a personal issue. I’ve had multiple conversations with him the last couple of days. He’s definitely dealing with a personal issue. I respect his privacy and I ask that everyone respects his privacy. We support Will and we’ll take it one day at a time.” When asked further on if Fuller will miss multiple weeks, Flores said, “We’ll take it one day at a time.” He was then asked again a similar worded question, to gauge whether or not we will see Fuller again this season. Flores keep to the script, “One day at a time,” he reiterated. With Fuller out, the name that comes to mind immediately would be 3rd year WR Preston Williams. The young and talented undrafted free agent from 2019 has shown both signs of massive potential as well as a very recent history of unfortunate injuries. While the conversation and detail of those injuries are for another day, his potential is something Miami values, and not ready to fold their hand on yet. Williams was limited on Friday in practice and questionable against Buffalo, as his foot is closing in on 100%, if not already there. Flores told reports, regarding his availability, “He’s definitely improving, I would say, just from a health standpoint. We’ll see how today’s [Friday] practice goes before we make any determination of who is up and who is down.” It will be a game-time decision for Williams on Sunday, and it would not shock me to see him inactive, as the Dolphins are slow-playing this one. Staying on the injury and availability front, the Miami Dolphins world stood still last week at the sight of Raekwon Davis laying on the New England grass. Thankfully, he walked off the field with limited assistance, and in all hopefulness could be back inside a month after a quick IR stint. Benito Jones and/or Jabaal Sheard could take on the “next-man-up” role here, as coach Flores endorsed them both Friday. “Both guys we feel good about. They’ve practiced well. We’ll see how today’s practice goes before we make any kind of final determinations of who is up, who is down, flexes and things of that nature.” Whether it's the next guy on the defensive line or in the receiving corp., this Miami team needs to fire on all cylinders against the AFC East favorite Bills. A team that has a weapon in Stefon Diggs that is an elite wide-out, playing with quarterback Josh Allen, a player who is on the fringe at the elite class of the QB position in the NFL. The Dolphins must do what they have had an inability to do recently, and that is stifle a quarterback who has the ability to utilize his legs and pick up first downs rushing the football. Not only do the Dolphins have to contain Allen's ground game, but the main worry is also his developing skills passing the ball. With Diggs likely being covered by All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard, it is the middle of the field that will be of concern. So the safeties in Eric Rowe, Brandon Jones and rookie Jevon Holland, as well as slot cornerback Nik Needham, will need to step up this afternoon. Flipping to the most important aspect of the offensive side of the ball, the Miami O-line must neutralize the Buffalo front and make life at least tolerable for Tua Tagovailoa. In addition to the necessity of finding Tua time in the pocket, they need to help the rushing attack of Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed. Gaskin, a dual threat with his receiving skills, ran well last week yet there is room for improvement in the overall ground game. If the line can win the battle of the trenches, and Tua has time to find DeVante Parker and Jaylen Waddle as he did last week, the Dolphins have more than a fighting chance in this contest. Keep your eyes on the tight ends as well. Namely Mike Gesicki who looks to rebound from a goose-egg performance Week 1. Durham Smythe could also be a factor, as this Miami TE room is coming off of a prolific 2020 campaign. Miami has a major opportunity at 1:00 to begin a path to a 2-0 start to 2021, both AFC East wins, and the difference of teams in years past could be proven today. When there is a chance to put the cleats down on the necks of a division, Miami has that chance to capitalize and not let the pack join them. You never want to call a Week 2 game a “must-win,” yet this rivalry game very well could be a “need-to-win” game for the NFL to start taking this Dolphins team seriously. By: Matthew Morin When the Dolphins drafted Jaylen Waddle with the 6th overall pick back in late April, they believed they were getting a top level receiver with game-breaking ability, strong hands, and electric route-running. They also had their starting QB, Tua Tagovailoa in mind when making the selection. Seeing as the main goal of Miami’s offseason was to acquire more quality targets for an offense that lacked firepower, taking Waddle was a no-brainer. The Alabama product racked up just under 2000 yards receiving and averaged 18.9 yards per reception during his 3 seasons in Tuscaloosa. Those numbers speak to Waddle’s freakish ability to create separation from defenders at the line of scrimmage, and or downfield. This is exactly the type of player Chris Grier & Brian Flores wanted to put aside their other offseason additions in Will Fuller and Albert Wilson back from a season opt out in 2020 (COVID-19). Miami wants to have as many targets as possible that can consistently win in 1 on 1 coverage, so that Tua can go back to his roots of being what fans call a “gunslinger” at Alabama. Drafting Waddle only added to this new approach on offense and that got off to a noticeable start on Sunday afternoon when he played in his first NFL game in Foxborough against the New England Patriots. Waddle was actually called upon for the first play from scrimmage as Miami ran a RPO to the left side of the field, Tua hit him in stride on a slant route that went for 17 yards. You could venture to say the new offensive play-calling staff wanted to get Waddle’s first target out of the way early, to rid him of any potential nervousness. He answered the call, flashing his speed and elusiveness in the open field. Dolphins fans should get used to Waddle making things happen in the YAC department; if it wasn’t obvious enough on Sunday, it takes a crowd to bring him down. Almost as though a little bit of space is too much, NFL defenses will recognize that and commit more bodies to Waddle. This will only create more opportunities for Miami’s other speedy receivers.  Waddle continued his solid start when he lined up in the slot against Jalen Mills, Waddle sped past Mills with a deep inside fade route down the sideline. Tagovailoa looked off the safety and delivered a 36 yard pass to Waddle, who made a great grab in mid air over Mills, showing off his catch radius. A great kick-start to a drive that ended in a field goal for Miami. On the Dolphin’s following possession, Waddle caught his first NFL touchdown on a 3-yard quick hitter in the red zone.
Waddle streaked halfway across the formation pre-snap, faking a jet sweep. Once the ball was snapped, he flipped his hips and sprinted towards the flat where Tagovailoa delivered the quick pass. Waddle won the race to the endzone against 2 patriot defenders, capping off his ultra-impressive NFL debut. Waddle's 4 receptions, 61 yards and a TD, was the best statistical debut for a WR in Dolphins history. Overall, Jaylen Waddle looked as advertised...showing us all his true versatility as a football player. Look for him to be having a strong rookie season, filled with game-breaking plays. By: Hussam Patel After a fairly wild kickoff to the college football season, Week 2 was even crazier. Underdogs Oregon and Iowa took down perennial powerhouses Ohio State and Iowa State, respectively, in the lone top-25 matchups of the week. Top-15 teams USC and Texas also lost to Stanford and Arkansas, respectively. Along with that, No. 5 Texas A&M scraped by Colorado and No. 8 Notre Dame eked past Toledo with three-point wins as two-plus touchdown favorites. Games of the Week No. 1 Alabama (2-0) at No. 11 Florida (2-0), 3:30 p.m., Saturday, CBS
Players to Watch: Alabama: The Entire team has NFL talent Florida: Anthony Richardson, Dameon Pierce, Jacob Copeland, Keon Zipperer, Stewart Reese, Zachary Carter, Brenton Cox Jr, Ventrell Miller, Mohamoud Diabate, Kaiir Elam Prediction: Alabama 45, Florida 20  No. 22 Auburn (2-0) at No. 10 Penn State (2-0), 7:30 p.m., Saturday, ABC
Players to Watch: Auburn: Tank Bigsby, Shaun Sivers, Keoindre Jones, Nick Brahms, Owen Pappoe, T.D. Moultry, Nehemiah Pritchett, Roger McCreary, Smoke Monday Penn State: Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson, Rasheed Walker, Caedan Wallace, Adisa Isaac, PJ Mustipher, Brandon Smith, Tariq Castro-Fields, Jaquan Brisker Prediction: Penn State 27, Auburn 17 No. 19 Arizona State (2-0) at No. 23 BYU (2-0), 10:15 p.m., Saturday, ESPN
Players to Watch: Arizona State: Jayden Daniels, DeaMonte Trayanum, Dohnovan West, Jermayn Lole, Tyler Johnson, Merlin Robertson, Chase Lucas BYU: Lopini Katoa, Tyler Allegeir, Keanu Hill, Tyler Batty, Uriah Leiataua, Keenan Pili, Isaiah Herron, Malik Moore, Chaz Ah You Prediction: BYU 23, Arizona State 20
By: Jason Sarney After a victorious opener at New England, the Dolphins prepare for another divisional rival as the Buffalo Bills head to Miami Gardens and Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. Here are your mid-week news and notes heading into Week 2. -The Dolphins kick-off their home schedule at 1-0 against the 0-1 Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins are 24-15 at Hard Rock Stadium since the 2016 season. (There was a London game that counted as a home game back in 2017). -MIA has a 61-52-1 all-time record against Buffalo which includes 4 playoff games (MIA 1-3). -Miami is looking to end a five-game losing streak against the Bills. The Dolphins’ last win against Buffalo was on Dec. 2, 2018. -Jaylen Waddle was the 6th overall pick in the 2021 Draft & made an impact in his 1st NFL game. Waddle caught a 3-yard TD pass from Tua Tagovailoa in Miami's Week 1 win at New England. His 61 receiving yards were the most by a Dolphin receiver in his NFL debut & 3rd most by any Miami player in their 1st NFL game. -With 2 fumble recoveries in the win at New England, Miami now has a takeaway streak of 23 consecutive games dating back to November of 2019.  -The Dolphins finished 6th in the NFL in scoring defense in 2020, allowing 21.1 points per game. After holding the Patriots to just 16 points in their Week 1 win on Sunday, Miami is already ahead of last year’s scoring defense pace.
-It will be an ALL FERGUSON Day in Miami when Brothers in Long Snapping & podcasting, share the Hard Rock Stadium field. Reid and Blake... Fun day for the Ferguson family. -9 different Miami Dolphins got their hands on the ball Sunday against NE: Whether it was Forced Fumbles, Passes Defended or a Fumble recovery. Rowe (FF) By. Jones (PD) McCourty (PD) X. Howard (FF and FR) Ogbah (PD) Scarlett (PD) E. Roberts (PD) Holland (FF) Sieler (Recovery). -Myles Gaskin has two nice chunk plays of 15 yards against the Patriots. Volume may not ever be there with 20+ touches a game, but efficiency will always be there. 76 scrimmage yards against New England on 14 touches with his 5 catches (led team). He averaged 5.4 yards a touch Sunday. -Miami made 16 1st downs on Sunday. 9 via the pass and 7 on the ground. -According to Pro Football Reference, out of his 27 attempts on Sunday, Tua Tagovailoa made 4 "Bad Throws" That's 14.8% Comparatively to other QBs Week 1: Herbert (5 bad throws out of 47= 10.9%) Burrow (5 bad throws out of 27 = 19.2%) Josh Allen (9 bad throws out of 51 = 18.4%). -In 50 Games played, Jacoby Brissett has 12 rushing TDs. He is a career backup, and 2021 short-yardage sneaky specialist. O/U on rushing TDs this season is 0.5. Slam the O. (I made that line up and haven't seen it). -DeVante Parker’s two most productive NFL seasons have come in the past two years. He has had his best years in receptions and yards in 2019-20. His 1,202 receiving yards in 2019 were 5th in the NFL that season. Coaching quotes from Tuesday's coaches press conference: On Tua: “I think that’s the position and it’s a very complicated equation. He’s growing each day. There’s a lot of different defenses we see and a lot of different personnel groupings and ways to strategically align that. When you combine our play with the amount of defenses that are possible, there are a lot of variables. We try to give him as many looks as possible; but ultimately when we get to game day, there is probably a new look we’re going to have to discern and make quick decisions. We harp on that with him, and he knows that. It’s a matter of being decisive. We try to give him as many looks of that in practice and move forward from there.” - George Godsey On the offensive line, and Myles Gaskin: “Just overall with the offensive line, we were able to run the ball at times. It’s hard when you’re looking at an average and you take three knees at the end of the game. That average can kind of get a little skewed. Those guys know there are some opportunities there for some bigger plays. In the pass protection, that’s a good pass rush front. That group will cause some problems during the year for sure. For our situation at line, being able to handle some changes there during the week, and be effective and give us enough time to distribute the ball, we think that group needs to continue to improve but it was a good first outing. As far as the pistol is concerned, it’s another alignment that we look at. Some teams look at it as a back in the back field, other teams still look at it as a (shot)gun. For us, it’s just another formation. Our guys have done a good job of ball-handling to make sure we can execute that when we need to call that. On that particular play, it was well blocked for us to get the 15-yard run.” - George Godsey -“We were able to run the ball at times.” -George Godsey -“As far as the pistol is concerned it’s just another alignment” -George Godsey -Assistant HC/ST coach Danny Crossman- “We have multiple people we feel very confident about in the return game” He references a few “young guys.” -Danny Crossman mentions the importance of making ST plays to help in the overall field position battle. He was asked about the Touchback on a Michael Palardy punt that Mack Hollins acknowledged he should have downed. Crossman said it’s those plays that need to be made. “We work with all of our guys as a group.” In terms of drills to start practice to help get to the ball. -Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer on turnover and fumble creation. -Regarding rookie Jaelen Phillips, “I think with all players, you expose them to a variety of different things and then ideally what you’d like to do is you’d like to utilize their talents to what they do best within the scheme or the structure of what we’re trying to do, given our game plan. Again, I thought Jaelan did some good things out there. I thought there were some things, like all of us, that we can improve. We’ve kind of put all of that stuff behind us and we’re full steam on Buffalo.” - Josh Boyer On the "QB Spy" strategy and a matchup like Josh Allen: “I think there’s a time and a place for everything. The game has been around for a long time. I think we’ve kind of seen it all and things go full cycle and I think you just pick out what you feel is best for the group that you have against the group that you’re going against. Without kind of saying too much on that, I think it really comes down to personnel, what they do, what we have and what we can do. I think there’s a number of different options that you have on that. Honestly, it really goes back to you’re just trying to put your players in the best position to succeed.” - Josh Boyer By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins started their 2021 season off with a 17-16 road victory against the rival New England Patriots on Sunday. In the aftermath of the game, there were plenty of statistics, quotes, and fun news and nuggets as we look to close out Week 1, and prepare for a Week 2 home opener against another AFC East rival, the 0-1 Buffalo Bills. The chance for Miami to start 2-0 in the AFC East, and place Buffalo at 0-2 in the AFC, is massive for their seasonal success. Let's go to the notes: -The Dolphins are 1-0 in the AFC East and 1-0 on the road. The Bill are 0-1 in the AFC and 0-1 at home. Miami has a chance to go 2-0 in the AFC East next weekend and send Buffalo to 0-2 in the AFC. Miami has 8 home games after next week’s opener. -MIA Week 1 NE Notes: MIA is now 30-25-1 all-time in season openers & 19-16-1 all-time when opening the season on the road. MIA has won 3 of their last 4 road games since last year and has now won 3 of their last 4 games against NE. 1st time MIA has won 2 of 3 at NE since '99-00. -MIA under Brian Flores is 1st quarter dominant. George Godsey, in his 1st official series, on the road, at NE, called a 10-play, 80-yard drive that took 5:05, capping it with a Tua walk-in TD. Godsey deserves credit today. He didn't have two if their top 3 WRs. -Jaylen Waddle officially had the best MIA WR debut game in MIA Team history. His 4 receptions, 61 yards and a TD, put him as the leader in this special franchise rookie category. Andre Brown, in 1989, had a similar line, but with 58 yards, and Eddie Chavis had 4-58 no TDs in 1987.  -Between rookies and new veterans to MIA, 15 brand new Fins played for the Dolphins Sunday.
-On the strength of his 81 yards, DeVante Parker is now in the Magnificent 7 of All-Time MIA WR yardage leaders in receiving. Clayton - Duper - Moore - McDuffie - Chambers - D. Harris - Uncle DeVante He is now 9th in receptions as well. -Sam Eguavoen recorded three quarterback hits on Mac Jones. Sam had a 4-sack game in the pre-season and apparently hasn't stopped playing since. -Jerome Baker had a laughable O/U tackle line of 4.5 He led MIA w/ 12 tackles (8solo) on Sunday against NE. He has 323 career tackles (207 solo) in just 49 career games. He was rightfully extended in the off-season, and slowly creeping into MIA LB Lore. Slowly....but surely. Coach Brian Flores Quotes: -Coach Flores regarding Will Fuller: "He's got a lot of film from his time in Houston, and we had him all spring, so we have an idea of where we want to play him." he adds: "but, that's practice. We have to get timing." "Timing with the QB. Timing with the running game" -When asked about the play-calling of Eric Studesville and George Godsey, Brian Flores said (and I'll paraphrase) There were some good drives. There were some bad drives. Safety, Eric Rowe Quotes: -"We've been preaching that since the spring, to training camp to the season. It's always 'attack the ball.' Whether it's in the air or on the ground." -"I wouldn't say anything specific to the TEs. I know on a couple of the plays, the Jonnu (Smith) long play, we had a busted coverage." - on the Tight End coverage. -On the DEF's sense of redemption for the BUF Game "They did kick our ass last year. We remember that. We are not taking it as a revenge game. New season, new players, new coaches." "It's a big division game, it's the 2021 season, not 2020, & we need to get on them" DL, John Jenkins: "We caused fumbles when we needed to cause them, we caused stops when we needed to cause them.” OL, Jessie Davis: -On the offensive line performance. "I think we flashed in some areas, but we have a lot to improve on. The first game you always want to get better, but we had some good moments." -on the RPO: "I think the RPO game was a big party of our game plan going in. We got some big chunk plays." -"I think he's done a good job - in the huddle, in the offense." "He played well” RB, Myles Gaskin: -"I think we just came out; we did what we wanted to do. We knew what plays were going to be called and we executed." -on MIA's first possession, running out of pistol formation "It's all the same for me, personally. Just trying to hit the holes." -"Whatever run is called we trust the O-line that they are going to do their jobs." -"There's room for everybody to contribute" -Myles Gaskin on the Running Back Group and mentions Salvon Ahmed and Malcolm Brown. By: Brandon Liguori Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones, two first-round draftees out of the University of Alabama, battled to the very end in Sunday’s season-opening contest in front of a hostile Gillette Stadium crowd, but when it was all said and done, Xavien Howard’s fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter sealed a 17-16 win for Brian Flores’ group, putting the Dolphins alone atop the AFC East after one week of play. Sunday’s win was just the second time since 2008 that Miami walked out of Gillette Stadium victorious. “Feels good to win. Credit to the players, our coaching staff, offensively, defensively, in the kicking game. Tough game,” Flores said. Tagovailoa, finishing 16-for-27 with 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception, hoisted an ugly fourth-quarter interception on third down to put Jones’ group in great position to run the clock and kick the potential game-winning field goal.  Instead, Howard, fresh off a reconstructed contract this past August, picked up a Damien Harris fumble on 2nd-and-5 from the Miami 22, pretty much ending any hopes of a Patriots come-from-behind victory. “Yeah, I was trying to throw the ball away, but unfortunately that’s not what happened,” Tagovailoa said after the game. Jones, who threw for 281 yards in his first start of his career, tossed his first NFL touchdown to newly-acquired receiver Nelson Agholor, giving Bill Belichick’s group a 10-7 lead late in the first half. The Patriots would not lead again. Opening the second half, Tagovailoa was the captain of a nine-play, 78-yard drive that resulted in Jaylen Waddle’s first touchdown as a professional, putting Brian Flores’ group back in front by a touchdown, 17-10. “It was great. It was a great play call. I think my teammates did good just helping me get open. It was a great call,” Waddle said.  The Dolphins were without two wide receivers Sunday: Preston Williams, ruled out prior to the start of the game because Williams is still rehabbing from a foot injury suffered a season ago and Will Fuller, who finished the final game of his six-game suspension dating back to last season due to violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
Miami has a wonderful opportunity to secure a second consecutive AFC East win and improve to 2-0 in Week 2, welcoming Josh Allen and the talented Buffalo Bills (0-1) to Hard Rock Stadium next Sunday afternoon, as the Dolphins open the home portion of their 2021-22 campaign. By: Chip Turner Yesterday, the nation remembered the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, one of the worst days in the lives of countless Americans, myself included. We will never forget. But as this country has shown, mourning eventually turns to hope. Today is the first day of the NFL season for 30 clubs, and hope springs anew for every single one of them. As the afternoon sun shines down on Gillette Stadium, it will shine brightest on two players; Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa. And we can finally start to put all of these narratives about Tua to rest, one way or another. It’s Truth about Tua Time.  This year should show us whether or not Tua is the future QB of the Miami Dolphins. And maybe, just maybe, all of the talking heads, reporters, prognosticators and pundits will find something new to discuss, like whether or not Tom Brady is literally a vampire.
Never in my life have I seen such overanalysis of a player. Tua has been critiqued for his arm strength, his “lack of wiggle,” his intelligence, his leadership, his durability, his lack of an “it factor,” and his size. He has been criticized both for going deep too much and not going deep enough, he’s had a quote about last year’s playbook taken out of context and then blown out of proportion, and someone even suggested his arrival in Miami was the final sign of the Apocalypse. Okay, I made that last one up, but it wouldn’t completely surprise me if someone went down that path. The newest narrative is possibly the craziest one of all: “I know what I’m getting from Mac Jones. I don’t know what I’m getting from Tua.” Let’s look at that again: Mac Jones is now a known quantity to some, even though he’s never thrown a regular-season NFL pass. We’re just going to call that one what it is; willful ignorance. Of course, there’s some reason for hesitation after Tua’s rookie season, so let’s set everything else aside for a second. Let’s COMPLETELY disregard the hip injury, the pandemic, the statements that he wasn’t 100% recovered, the highly questionable play calling, the depleted receiving corps, the lack of separation, the drops, the lack of a running game, the extremely young offensive line…let’s set ALL of that aside. Tua went 6-3 in an offense that was designed for Ryan Fitzpatrick, with plays being called by an offensive coordinator who reportedly not only threw away most of the notes and schemes that made him valuable, but also had a reduced playbook for Tua. His numbers weren’t gaudy, but they were fine for a rookie – they weren’t all that dissimilar to Joe Burrow’s. They were nowhere near Justin Herbert’s, which isn’t surprising. Herbert only had the best statistical season by a rookie QB in the history of the league. All things considered, Tua’s rookie season was perfectly fine. Those who judge him as a finished product after that abbreviation of a season simply aren’t in touch with reality, but it sure does make for good TV and generate clicks. So this afternoon, the talking stops, and the truth about Tua starts to be told. And a lot of people, one way or another, are going to be wrong. I’ve been of the opinion he’s “the guy” all along. Starting today, he gets to prove it. Fins up. By: Jason Sarney The NFL, and a full slate up games, returns on Sunday! Following a terrific opener on Thursday, if that was any indication, tomorrow should be packed with action! Speaking of action, when heading on over to BetUS.com, the Props Plays are where the quick and easy money is to be made. The plays that I am going to be focusing on this season will mainly be what I like to call “one-hit-wonder” plays. These are simply plays that only need to happen in one play. Now mind you, it could take all game for it to happen, but it only does take one play, and you don't have to sit there counting receptions or counting yards or waiting for multiple occurrences to happen. This brings in the “longest reception play.” Simply put, all you need to happen to win this bet, is for your receiver or tight end to make one catch over the total that the lines said for what his longest reception would be. Some of the top-end players in the league such as, Stefon Diggs and Davante Adams, have gaudy longest reception lines of 26.5 and 25.5, respectively. Calvin Ridley’s over/under total is 27.5 for his longest catch play, and this includes yardage after the catch, so guys with YAC help here. Sure, it's easy to find the top few players and ride with them, but anything over 25 yards for a lonest play is tough to root for and wait for. What I wanted to do, was come up with a number within numbers, to gauge the best chances of weekly success for individual pass-catchers in the “longest reception” category. Before going into the non-specific and experimental proprietary formula, let’s call it something flashy. We are looking for a number to see the chances of a “hit,” so let’s call it “Hit Score.” The point of arriving at this Hit Score is taking the weekly over/under line of their longest play. You start there and then you subtract the player's 2020 yards per catch average, since we have no 2021 data yet. After that, I basically put a few other statistics into a blender metaphorically and hit puree. Stats like “yards per target” and even their amount of first downs were calculated. After the stat mix, there came a percentage, and listed from top to bottom the pass-catchers with what I believe, will be the likeliest and best chances to “hit” their overs. Remember those 24.5-27.5-yard plays in Diggs, Adams and Ridley? Pass on this prop with them, it’s too heavy a total. Let’s find those sub-20-yard plays at WR and TE, and some names may surprise…and surprise equals SMASH on the Longest Reception plays for Week 1: The TOP Player in my experiment is a top-end wide-out who could challenge for league-leading yardage. Keenan Allen. Now, Allen had a career-low in yards per catch last season with 9.9. His career average is 11.9, and he has hit 13.7 and 12.3 as little as three and four seasons ago. His 61 1st downs last season indicate he is both a chain mover, clearly, as well as a trusted target of now-sophomore Justin Herbert.  19.5 yards for a top-tier receiver, 8 yards easier than Ridley, makes him the LONGEST RECEPTION WR PLAY of the WEEK with a Hit Score of 45.27% to go along with that attainable 19.5 O/U. The other 9, that’s right NINE receivers I would smash the over with in this stat Week 1 are the following: including both their O/U marks, as well as their “Hit Score” percentage. (There are WRs with high scores, such as DeAndre Hopkins at 36.44% yet his O/U is a tad rich at 25.5.) We want the “low-hanging fruit,” in this stat. Nothing over 20.5, and we start with a Steeler. JuJu Smith-Schuster (20.5 O/U with a HIT SCORE of 49.85%- the overall highest HS% of the Week.) With Big Ben back, and Diontae Johnson coming into his own, and Najee Harris keeping defenses honest, Smith-Schuster is in for a bounce-back year, in yet another contract year. Tough Week 1 match-up at Buffalo, but he could break a 20+ yarder. Tyler Boyd – With Joe Burrow back, and weapons like Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase adding to the defense's attention, Boyd is sitting with a 19.5 O/U for his long catch, and he is a low-key fantasy gem. Last year was a regression year, but Boyd has a 20-yard play in him against the Vikings on Sunday. Especially if the Bengals go down in the 4th by a few scores, that could be the time he “hits” if not sooner. Robby Anderson is a solid receiver, and now, he gets a reunion with fellow ex-Jet Sam Darnold. They both play New York at home tomorrow, and this is a double-dosh of revenge. A dish best served quickly. I would put a rather confident wager on the fact that Carolina should bomb a pass to Anderson from Darnold right off the bat to set the tone, and crush Jet Nation from the jump. Anderson, who averaged 11.5 yards per catch last season, is getting an O/U set at 19.5. This is a player who had 49 first downs in 2020 and a long of 75 yards. Last season's average per reception was vastly different than his potential and what he produced as a Jet. Back with Darnold, in 2018 and 2019, Anderson average 15.0 yards per catch. This is as close to a “gimme” as you will ever get with the intangibles and the set up with a home match-up, a QB reunion, and a low O/U number. (CO- Play of the Week) – Robby Anderson – and he’ll score a TD too. +200 to score a TD  5 More Week 1 O/U Longest Reception Plays for WRs: -Laviska Shenault, Jr. –O/U 19.5 with Hit Score% of 19.89% -DeVante Parker –O/U 19.5 with Hit Score% of 16.41% -Brandon Aiyuk –O/U 19.5 with a Hit Score% of 15.46% -DJ Chark- O/U 19.5 with a Hit Score% of 11.64% -Emmanuel Sanders- O/U 18.5 with a Hit Score% of 11.2% To put this into perspective, and for fun, here are the TOP 10 HIT SCORE% leaders for Week 1, regardless of O/U mark:  Tight Ends with easy to reach O/U based on highest HS%: Logan Thomas: (O/U of 18.5 with a HS% of 31.56%) T.J. Hockenson: (O/U of 17.5 with a HS% of 19.96%) Austin Hooper: (O/U of 16.5 with a HS% of 19.45%) Eric Ebron: (O/U of 15.5 with a HS% of 17.45%) Noah Fant: (O/U of 17.5 with a HS% of 16.34%)  Top 30 Week 1 Hit Score% Plays (Green indicates 20.5 or lower O/U)  Back Sunday Morning for the rest of the Week 1 Slate and... More Prop Plays of the Week!!! Make sure to take advantage of the 125% Sign-up Bonus over at BETUS.com! 200% Crypto Bonus as well! PROMO CODE - "PHINMANIACS" |
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