|
With a blessing from the Godfather of the Dad Joke of the Day @BrianByrnesie (he even named this segment) I bring you my Fin Fact of the Day! @TheFishTank81 jumped over to my show on Thursday & @ojmcduffie81 learned something new about his career. Here is a @RichmondWebb
I think it's time to seriously consider this man a Hall-of-Famer.
Spike Your Enthusiasm - The Fish Tank Takeover! - 8:00 PM EST on YouTube @OrangeAquaman Channel5/28/2020 In the latest installment of "Spike Your Enthusiasm," Jason "Orange Aquaman" Sarney goes all out with four guests! The first 3 are the Trio from The Miami Dolphins PodCast, The Fish Tank - DJ Prec, Seth Levit and OJ McDuffie! The guys join the show and settle in as a few surprises throughout the show seemed to be the theme. One surprise was another former Miami Dolphin who dropped in to say hello, as well as help out in a little friendly competition between Seth and "Juice." There are plenty of Fish Tank anecdotes, a few brand new Tales, and a lot was learned, or re-learned by all. Enjoy this episode of "Spike Your Enthusiasm" and please subscribe to the Orange Aquaman Channel!
By: Jason Sarney
Football is a team game with three separate phases. Offense, defense, and special teams, and within those units are personnel packages, positions groups and specialists. A Super Bowl contender need not have a league-best unit across the board to succeed, however, you would be hard-pressed to find a championship team who can be considered, “weak” in any of these aspects of football.
While not a “sexy” 33.33% part of the game this world loves and craves, Special Teams is vital to the success of a team in any given season. Sometimes it is a specialist within special teams that creates an X-factor for a team. A return man, a punter who just may be able to throw on a fake or even tuck and run for a 4th and 3 surprise conversion, or even a long-snapper, could all play minor yet key roles in a teams overall record. Sometimes, it is a position that does not have a true statistic that creates a role for a player on a team. A role that may leave a player anonymous on a box score to the naked eyed fan, yet a vital cog to those watching with a bit more of a laser-focus on what makes teams successful for the long haul. There is a cliché being used for about 15 months now regarding the new look Dolphins and the northern exposure they have been given by former Patriots defensive coordinator and current Miami head coach Brian Flores. He and general manager Chris Grier have created a “New England South” mentality. 
The blue/red print of Patriot Dynastic success is more than one coach and one quarterback. It’s the players who had the “next-man-up” mindset, it’s the players that take a lesser role as on offensive producer and instead accepts his role as a supporting cast member within a team to create long term success.
Miami has been building their roster with “football players,” meaning that the individuals signed and drafted are those who will become self-less, and those who would accept any role they can on this team to become part of a 53-man roster, where about 35 other players are fighting to earn a spot on. In my mind – one “spot” may already be locked up by an undrafted free agent rookie wide receiver…however, he does not need to record a single reception to make a pro-bowl in his career. A feat that may be as likely as any other Miami rookie in the 2020 class for the Dolphins that, once again, has about a dozen non-selected prospects looking to prove 32 teams made a mistake during April’s Draft process. In 2019, as we all know, “undrafted gems” such as Preston Williams and Nik Needham are now embedded into the Miami Dolphins roster and future, and there could be three to five rookies who follow in their cleat-marks. 
The New England Patriots have an 8-time Pro-Bowler on their team, and he has only known them as a squad since they drafted him in the 5th round out of UCLA in 2008. 12 seasons later, Matthew Slater is the league’s premier Special Teams Gunner, which is the player who is responsible for beating the punt down field, and either downing the ball, tackling the return man, or getting their so fast a fair-catch needs to be signaled.
Click to set custom HTML Slater, who has been named to two All-Pro Teams is listed as a wide receiver. However, in his decade plus as an NFL “wide-receiver,” Slater has just one more career reception than the author of this article. That is right, just one single catch for an 8-time all-star, champion with a hat trick of Super Bowl Rings. Are there many “more” decorated players in this league than Matthew Slater? Slater was recently rewarded with a multi-million-dollar contract extension, as he is a well-known and valuable asset in the NFL to a team that built a dynasty the last two decades. The Dolphins are taking a carbon copy approach to the Patriot Way and making it the Dolphin Way. Undrafted wide-receiver, Matt Cole out of McKendree University is a small school prospect with big-time potential as a replacement to now former Dolphins defensive back/gunner, Walt Aikens. Aikens, a former team captain as well, held the Gunner role which is now up for grabs. The Dolphins have a crowded room of receivers in the AFC yardage leader from 2019 at the position in DeVante Parker, returning sophomore Preston Williams, and veterans Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, Allen Hurns and Isaiah Ford. The Dolphins even made another savvy post-2020 Draft rookie free agent signing in Arkansas State’s Kirk Merritt, who could be the second-coming of homerun 2019 prospect, the aforementioned Williams. Merritt makes things hard for Cole to become the team’s 6th or 7th wide-out, however, there is a tad of a “catch.” Cole could very well be the new Gunner for the Miami Dolphins if his college tape is any indication.
Cole has the work ethic, the hunger and most importantly the speed to excel in this extremely important role for the Dolphins. A player like Cole could be a field position flipper, and a preventative measure against all-world punt returners.
When scouring the current loaded roster of the Dolphins, one must count 53 players to field a team, and of course, add a sprinkle of practice squad players. Cole must be added as not WR7, but ST1. Cole is the player Miami brought in for the palatable price of “show me what you got before we show you the money.” If Cole decides to see this opportunity and well, “run” with it, it could be a savvy way to add yet another under-the-radar piece to a future puzzle of a decade-plus long winner, built from the ground up. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman
By: Brandon Liguori
Every now and then, an undrafted NFL player proves many wrong and shines throughout the course of a 20-game season, if you care to include four preseason contests. Before the start of the 2019 season, Brian Flores’ rookie season as head coach, the Miami Dolphins took a gamble on undrafted rookie Preston Williams, a Colorado State product after transferring from the University of Tennessee. Williams’ junior season caught attention, catching 96 passes for 1,345 yards, reeling in 14 touchdowns. This, of course, caught Flores’ and Chris Grier’s attention, which is why the Dolphins gave Williams one shot to prove himself. Let’s flashback to Miami’s 2019 preseason opener: a Thursday night contest vs. Matt Ryan’s Atlanta Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium. 
Yes, the Dolphins picked up a 34-27 victory, but the story of the night was Williams, who finished with a game-high 97 receiving yards on four catches. One excellent exhibition game from Williams grabbed the Dolphins’ attention. In Miami’s humiliating 59-10 season-opening loss to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium, Williams secured Miami’s first offensive touchdown with 13 seconds left to play in the first half.
Although the Dolphins were winless through seven games, Williams was a leading receiver in three of those seven defeats: New England, at Dallas and at Buffalo. Williams’ brilliant rookie season came to a devastating end during the Dolphins’ first victory of the Brian Flores era: a Week 7 home battle vs. Adam Gase’s New York Jets November 3. Ironically, Williams suffered a right wrist injury prior to his fourth-quarter knee injury, in which Williams was carted off. 24 hours later, Flores announced Williams would miss the remainder of the season. 
“It’s a big loss for us,” Flores said. “I talked to him Monday. He’s done an incredible job. He came to us as a free agent and has really grown over the last six, seven months. I was devastated for the kid and he was as well,” Flores noted. “But I told him this is just a bump in the road. He’ll be back.”
Williams’ absence resulted in more of DeVante Parker, whose nine touchdowns and 1,202 receiving yards led the team and Mike Gesicki, who blossomed tremendously after a sloppy rookie season. Adam Beasley and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported recently that Williams remains on pace to be ready for the 2020 season opener September 13 against the Jarrett Stidham-led New England Patriots. A healthy Williams would be enormous for Flores’ offensive unit because whether the Week 1 starter is Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh Rosen or Tua Tagovailoa, Williams has proven in eight games that he belongs in the National Football League.
You Can Follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori By: Jason Sarney It is the time of day in most parts of the world that you probably already got the phenomenal hour of The Fish Tank episode with Ricky Williams in to start your Tuesday. In a show full of outstanding quotes by the former Miami running back, as well as the Triple-Treat of Tank hosts Seth Levit, O.J. McDuffie and Sean “DJ Prec” Todd, one aspect of the episode stood out to me. The Birth of the Wildcat. The Fish Tank is the home for stories and origins of heroes of the Orange and Aqua and the battles and tales they tell the guys on their outstanding podcast. As if I were James Earl Jones in “Field of Dreams,” during his epic cinematic speech – when listening to this show, I sometimes feel like I have been dipped into magic waters while hearing the first-hand accounts of the memories I will cherish for a lifetime. One of the greatest seasons in its entirety in my Findom was the 2008 year, which for all intents and purposes is dubbed forever, “The Wildcat Season.” Ricky shared the inception story from his perspective, much like Wildcat-mate and still close-friend Ronnie Brown shared in his dip into the Tank last season. Hearing Ricky tell the story, who in fact was the “Wildcat” in the revolutionary offensive set, was as blissful was watching its birth. An offensive set that defined a team and a season which led to a division title. After starting the 2008 season 0-2, the outlook was bleak for a Miami team coming off a 1-15 season, a coaching change, and the loss of Jason Taylor to the hated Jets. Then came a road game to Foxborough on September 21st against the Patriots.  We will get back to that in a moment. Rewinding to the 2008 training camp, this is where the idea of this offense was hatched by a new Miami coach within new head coach Tony Sporano’s staff, named David Lee. As Ronnie Brown told us, to refresh or even introduce some to the back story, Lee was part of the University of Arkansas coaching staff that had Wildcat success with running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Lee, who became the Dolphins quarterbacks’ coach in 2008, installed the set to his offense and the veteran in Ricky Williams told the Tank, “what is this high school sh*t?” Williams, who is a consummate student of the game as well as practice player, and armed with a photographic memory, was ready to pay attention after coach Lee said, “Ricky, you’re the Wildcat.” It was after those words, as Williams said, “I guess I better pay attention,” and as Levit told us all, “in 2008, the Wildcat was born.” Ricky will continue to say that the delivery date of this new package was ready at any moment, as the 2008 Dolphins would exclusively “walk-thru” their Wildcat sets prior to their games. “All we did was Wildcat...everyday.” As fans of this franchise knows, practice makes perfect. In the conclusion of this portion of the Tank episode, Ricky describes the blissful chaos he noticed across the sidelines as the New England team was as shocked as they have ever been when the Wildcat officially made its debut. Ricky, ever the artist, paints a pretty picture of that glorious Sunday afternoon. “The beautiful thing about that, is that the Patriots, you know, they are always prepared. To see them running into each other and being unprepared and yelling at each other on the sidelines…it was beautiful.” No wonder Ricky goes by the moniker of @Rickthelaureate on Twitter. A warrior poet. That game against New England saw Miami rush for a team total of 216 yards and four touchdowns. Ricky “The Wildcat” Williams was the teams 2nd leading rusher that day with 98 yards, as we all know that Ronnie Brown put in a performance for the ages with 113 yards, 4 touchdowns on the ground, as well as the “Southpaw Special” of a touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano. Miami won the game 38-13 for the first victory of the season, and that game started a 6-2 stretch for the team, heading to a 11-3 mark following the opening two defeats of the year, as newly acquired quarterback Chad Pennington settled into his new colors and offense. On the year, the Wildcat was an NFL sensation, which was often duplicated in attempts but never replicated in efficiency. “So much of that offense was in one room,” said Williams, and made sure to credit teammates Patrick Cobb and Lousaka Polite for the full season of Wildcat success. As for what the Wildcat did for Ricky 3.0, he tells us all, “I think it revitalized my career.” Ricky ran for 659 yards and a total of five scores in 2008 as the compliment to Ronnie Brown’s 916 yards and 13 rushing scores. In 2009, Ricky was back to the 1,000-yard club as he finished that campaign with 1,121 rushing yards, 35 receptions for 264 yards with 13 total touchdowns. This was all after his retirement year in 2004, suspension year in 2006 for the league substance-abuse policy violation, and his season ending 2007 injury, which jokingly was a blessing in disguise for Williams.  For me, 2008 was a special year in football as well as family as that was the year I got married in November. I knew I had the right girl when the Sunday of our Honeymoon in Aruba, there was a Dolphin Game already on at the bar near the beach waiting for me during an important mid-season battle. She planned it with the bartender. Miami beat the Seahawks 21-19 that Sunday, and Ricky ran for 105 yards on just 12 carries and a score. What a great day, and I was 1-0 as a married Fin fan. Miami would rattle off six wins out of the following seven games to finish the regular season, which included a Week 17 finale in my literal backyard at the time in New Jersey against the Jets for a win-and-in situation to clinch the division. Living minutes from the stadium then, my younger Brother and I were not only in attendance, but up close and personal to witness Ricky, Ronnie and company win the only division title Miami has seen this century. To say the least, 2008 was one of the best years of my life. Listening to The Fish Tank, and the Wildcat story directly from the man himself, was magical as indicated earlier. Give this a listen, as this sub-plot of Ricky Williams’ story, is almost like a Spin-off television show from an already established universe. That universe is the World of Ricky, and what a world it is to be a small part of, as we all are. We rooted for the player then, as much as we root for the person now. When he was running up the middle through the gaps, or in motion before a sweep we thought, “Run, Ricky, Run.” And now, with all the good he is doing and all the positivity he brings the mindset is the same, but a tad different in wording. Go, Ricky, Go! And never stop being Ricky Williams.  You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman
By: Jason Sarney In 2002, the Miami Dolphins traded for running back Ricky Williams in a massive deal with the New Orleans Saints. That September, Ricky made his debut with Miami against the Detroit Lions and ran for 111 yards and a pair of scores. That was the start of a memorable career with the Dolphins with several different phases. In what was one of the more enjoyable experiences of the recent times we are living in for me personally, the Boys over in The Fish Tank brought the former Heisman winning running back in for a discussion about all things Ricky, and as per usual, the show was perfect. Williams, as many Fin fans know, is the closest thing the NFL has ever had to Leonardo Da Vinci…but in pads. Williams talks to O.J. McDuffie, Seth Levit and DJ Prec about life and football. His abilities and passions off the gridiron are even more impressive than his work hitting the A and B Gaps during his playing days.  With limited to zero spoilers in this preview, do yourself a favor and check out the latest episode of The Fish Tank, and magically get whisked back to the 2002 and 2003 seasons, where Ricky totaled 3,225 rushing yards, 714 receiving yards and a total of 27 TDs as the newly acquired star. He also carried the ball 775 times in those 32 games, meaning he never missed action, despite being the NFL's leader in rushing attempts for those two seasons. Of course, the heavy usage in the “Run, Ricky, Run” era led to a few points in Ricky’s football destiny which he discussed, but don’t take it from me. Listen to the player, the pupil, the poet, the photographer, the philanthropist…the person.  Listen to the Student of the Game, and more importantly life, discuss his work both in-between the lines, and outside of them, as #34 is far and away one of the most unique, talented, and captivating individuals to ever run a football, swing a baseball bat, snap a photo, or teach a yoga position. Certifiably, Ricky is a latter-day Renaissance Man.
Please rush like the man himself to your devices and listen to the best hour of the Week in the Ricky Williams episode of The Fish Tank! “The Star of the Symphony,” as he put it, brings home one of the best episodes of this cornerstone show in Findom! Dive In. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins were once again active post-Draft, as they signed eight undrafted free agents. Among them, was a very intriguing prospect from Middle Tennessee State University who also caught the eye of another AFC East coach in Bill Belichick. Tyshun Render is a defensive end who could even be a outside linebacker in the NFL as he is a freakish athlete with upside to boot. The stats do not scream at you off the page, but the film sure does. Render plays all the way through the whistle and does so with ferocity. The Dolphins have a project who needs a bit of study as well as strength to help excel at the professional level, but the work ethic matches the athleticism, so the Dolphins have another solid training camp prospect to watch out for this summer. By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins made a savvy signing post-7th round with Division II wide receiver/special teamer, Matt Cole. The McKendree University standout scored 12 receiving touchdowns his senior year and added a punt return and kick-off return score. While able to be utilized as a slot receiver, as well as a threat on the ground, Cole could make his bones as a special teams gunner, much like a New England Patriots perennial pro-bowler in Matthew Slater. With Walt Aikens now not in Miami's plans, the gunner role is open, and Cole could sneak his way onto the 53-man roster in that capacity, and potential find himself sniffing an offensive formation or two. By: Jason Sarney Although the Miami Dolphins have a crowded and deep wide receiver room, Kirk Merritt was an undrafted free agent that had to be given a chance. A well traveled prospect started his career in 2015 at Oregon, then had a successful community college run at East Mississippi where he helped the Lions to a NJCAA national title. The speedy and strong track and field high school star put together two impressive years at Arkansas State and continues to fly under the radar despite impressive stats and pro-day numbers such as a 4.33 40-yard dash time and a ridiculous 45.5'' vertical leap. Merritt could push Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant very hard during training camp. By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins brought in a solid group of undrafted free agents following their impressive draft just a few weeks ago. Like 2019, there are a few players who may fight for a spot on the 53, and actually make the Week 1 roster. There are also a few practice squad spots that perhaps a mid-season call up could be in the future for one of these players. Perhaps the most likely to make this 53-man roster is defensive lineman, Benito Jones from Mississippi. Much like the player profile series prior to April's draft, PhinManiacs will feature a few of the top UDFA's Miami signed, starting with the 329 lbs. steal in Jones, who truly should have been drafted. By: Brandon Liguori Pen to paper. Tua Tagovailoa, a first-round draft choice this past April, is officially a part of the Miami Dolphins’ organization. Tagovailoa signed his rookie contract Monday afternoon, which comes to $30,275, 438 over a four-year span, including a $19,578,500 signing bonus. Tagovailoa’s contract is fully guaranteed. Eight years ago, the Dolphins signed then-rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a four-year, $12,668,843 contract with a $7,653,456 signing bonus.  Although Tannehill was awarded a second contract, season-ending injuries in 2016 and 2017 caused Tannehill to miss 14 games, as the Dolphins qualified for postseason play one time in Tannehill’s seven seasons under center. Tagovailoa, who spent three seasons with Nick Saban at Alabama, is the seventh highest-paid Dolphin entering 2020 behind Byron Jones, Xavien Howard, Kyle Van Noy, Ereck Flowers, Shaq Lawson and DeVante Parker.
You can follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins brought in a solid group of undrafted free agents following their impressive draft just a few weeks ago. Like 2019, there are a few players who may fight for a spot on the 53, and actually make the Week 1 roster. There are also a few practice squad spots that perhaps a mid-season call up could be in the future for one of these players. Perhaps the most likely to make this 53-man roster is defensive lineman, Benito Jones from Mississippi. Much like the player profile series prior to April's draft, PhinManiacs will feature a few of the top UDFA's Miami signed, starting with the 329 lbs. steal in Jones, who truly should have been drafted. By: Jason Sarney The Miami Dolphins now know their full schedule and preparation begins for their Week 1 match-up against New England, up north at Foxborough. Much like Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, Dolphins head man Brian Flores is likely in full strategy mode, with only the opening week match-up in his mind. However, for the rest of us, we can look up and down the schedule, pick out wins and losses, and of course make predictions on where Miami will finish and who they will defeat. Following a massive influx of talent, both in free agency and the draft, and player acquisitions in a deal that netted running back Matt Breida, 23 new Dolphins don the Orange and Aqua. That number is dangerously close to half the full roster allowance of 53, not including practice squad players. It is these additions, which include a strengthened offensive line, an upgraded defensive secondary, and depth at linebacker and defensive line to name a few, that can easily spike Miami’s 2019-win total of 5 through the roof in 2020. And let us be clear, “through the roof” in football, is basically set at four game here, which is nearly double their previous year win total. Now, let me ask you this…Would 5 wins year one- and 9-wins year two in a rebuild with a fresh young quarterback ready to step in for 2021 be something you might be interested in? Of course, it would be! This is where this franchise is right now, and we all must enter 2020 with tempered, yet Great Expectations. Much like the epic work of Charles Dickens, there is foreshadowing and symbolism all over this 2020 Dolphins team. While a rejuvenated fan base is ready to reach for the stars after team benefactor Stephen Ross put everything he could into building the home for his team, and putting the right people in place, expectations are at an all-time high.  Yet, as quickly as we all want to finish the novel, and get to the final chapter, the NFL season is not a Cliff-Notes short-cut. Like any quality student, to get through a book like that is to get through the NFL season. It requires dedication, understanding and preparation to come out more knowledgeable than you went in. The co-authors of this rebuild, Chris Grier and Brian Flores are now ready to send their characters out into the NFL wild, which will eventually be led by lead protagonist, rookie quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.
Talk about Great Expectations… No player in the 2020 class has the career pressure on him than the fifth overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft. Number 1 has the sole job of becoming the franchise’s next savior; greater than most rookie quarterbacks. The title of “greatest” seems to already be given to him in the eyes of some, and for that, I beg and plead to again, temper those expectations. Believe it or not, I imagine in a perfect world, the rookie does not throw a pass in 2020. That could be a debate for another day, but to me, the way to strengthen the future of this team, is to utilize veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to further mold and gel this team to compete in a weak division where 9 wins could potentially claim it. Should he succeed in this, there is no reason at all to bench him in favor of a young gun, who is expected to be a 10+ year staple of a franchise. No rush. On the flip side, should Fitz-magic take a tragic turn, much like parts of the Dickens novel, there is no reason to set up Tua for a risky proposition in a dead-season for “development.” The play in this case, and perhaps first contingency to Fitzpatrick… is Josh Rosen. Simply to hope and pray Rosen could put together a few solid games to spike potential trade value, as currently, it is arguable he could not net a 6th rounder back in a potential deal. The only way to increase his value to maybe a 4th rounder, is to play him… if Fitz falters. 2020 should very much be the year Tua pulls an Aaron Rodgers/Alex Smith/Patrick Mahomes and simply sit, watch, and learn. As for a Week 17 Mahomes-like rookie teaser game, I would not expect, nor endorse, throwing a brand-new franchise centerpiece out in Buffalo in January. The weather will not suit the risk/reward proposition there. The Great Expectations of this team, and its new quarterback is not a quick read. It is a literal and figurative marathon and not a sprint. The time to settle in for the long-haul of this process is now, and while there could be parts of the novel that run long, and perhaps not as exciting as most want, the overall work could end up, just as the written story from the 19th century did in time... A masterpiece. You can follow Jason on Twitter @OrangeAquaman By: Brandon Liguori One prime-time contest, three December home games, a late bye week and a trip to Las Vegas, too. PhinManiacs’ Brandon Liguori gives an in-depth, game-by-game analysis on the Miami Dolphins’ 2020 regular-season schedule. Week 1- September 13 (at New England; 1 p.m.): Brian Flores’ second season under the helm will begin in the same building where his first season ended: Gillette Stadium. Spoiling New England’s chances at earning a first-round bye, the Dolphins knocked off the Patriots in Foxborough for the first time since the famous “Wildcat Game” in 2008. With Tom Brady taking his talents to Tampa Bay after a 20-year run in New England, Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round selection, is likely Bill Belichick’s guy for the future, pending any veteran quarterback signings. Week 2- September 20 (Buffalo; 1 p.m.): The Buffalo Bills will be an interesting team to watch in 2020. Quarterback Josh Allen is entering his third season and the Bills added Stefon Diggs in the free agency period, giving the Bills a speedy weapon at the wideout position. Buffalo swept the season series in 2019. Week 3- September 24 (at Jacksonville; 8:20 p.m.): Miami’s lone primetime contest in 2020 will not be that far away from Hard Rock Stadium. Battling Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars, many experts believe the Jaguars’ eyes are set on 2021, with the potential of drafting Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence as the team’s hope-to-be franchise-changing quarterback. Week 4- October 4 (Seattle; 1 p.m.): Russell Wilson is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league, so it is safe to say the Dolphins will have their hands full vs. Pete Carroll’s squad. Miami last faced Russell Wilson in Adam Gase’s rookie season as head coach (2016). Week 5- October 11 (at San Francisco; 4:05 p.m.): The Dolphins will make their first visit to Levi’s Stadium against Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers. Coming off a disappointing 31-20 loss to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 this past February, the 49ers’ ferocious defensive unit will be key to watch in this football game, led by Javon Kinlaw, a first-round pick this past April and Fort Lauderdale native Nick Bosa, a first-round draft choice in 2019. Week 6- October 18 (at Denver; 4:05 p.m.): Releasing veteran quarterback Joe Flacco this past March now gives second-year man Drew Lock the keys to Denver’s offense. GM John Elway drafted smart this past April, providing Lock with two electrifying wide receivers: Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Penn State’s KJ Hamler. Week 7- October 25 (LA Chargers; 1 p.m.): Chargers HC Anthony Lynn has Tyrod Taylor penciled in as the Week 1 starter in Cincinnati. The ultimate question will be as to when rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, who was taken a pick later after Miami grabbed Tua Tagovailoa, will take an important snap under center. Week 8- November 1 (LA Rams; 1 p.m.): The Dolphins, in a span of seven days, will welcome both Los Angeles teams to Hard Rock Stadium. Miami does not have to worry about Todd Gurley, as the former Georgia running back was dealt to the Atlanta Falcons. Former Florida State Seminole running back Cam Akers, however, should be in the starting lineup. Week 9- November 8 (at Cardinals; 4:25 p.m.): Speed and athleticism are two great words to describe Miami’s Week 9 opponent. The Dolphins will get their first taste of Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, which includes quarterback Kyler Murray, the first overall selection in 2019 and newly-acquired wideout DeAndre Hopkins. Week 10- November 15 (New York Jets; 4:05 p.m.): A late-afternoon divisional game in November at home? I am sure Brian Flores’ squad will take that. Former Dolphins HC Adam Gase returns to Hard Rock Stadium and here is an interesting statistic: Flores’ first victory as head coach came vs. the Jets in Week 9 this past season. Week 11- BYE  Week 12- November 29 (at New York Jets; 1 p.m.): It was a pretty interesting finish last year when Miami traveled to MetLife Stadium. A controversial, defensive pass interference call on Nik Needham set up a game-winning 44-yard field goal from Jets kicker Sam Ficken as time expired. Adam Gase is 1-1 against his former team. Week 13- December 6 (Cincinnati; 1 p.m.): A quarterback match between Joe Burrow, the first overall selection this past April and Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s first selection in the 2020 draft, is possible but how quickly will the Dolphins rush Tagovailoa on the field in 2020? Also, how many of you remember Cincinnati’s incredible fourth-quarter comeback a season ago in Miami? Trailing, 35-12, then-Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton led a 23-0 scoring outburst to even the contest. The Dolphins secured victory in overtime, 38-35. Week 14- December 13 (Kansas City; 1 p.m.): Patrick Mahomes will have goosebumps when stepping on the field at Hard Rock Stadium. Mahomes’ first Super Bowl championship in his short, four-year career came in Miami’s home building this past February. Andy Reid’s Chiefs are one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC and in football. Plug this date into your phones, Dolphins fans. Week 15- December 20 (New England; 1 p.m.): Should I mention the 43-0 drubbing the Patriots handed Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins a season ago on home surface? Antonio Brown was a Patriot at the time and Brady was leading the offensive unit. Man, how times have changed. Week 16- December 26-27 (at Las Vegas; TBD): Christmas Weekend in Las Vegas! Get used to this change, folks. The once-named Oakland Raiders have moved to Las Vegas and Jon Gruden’s squad added some speed and veteran presence during the draft and free agency period, welcoming Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III and grabbing former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Week 17- January 3 (at Buffalo; 1 p.m.): Miami will conclude the 2020-21 campaign and Brian Flores’ second season as head coach against Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills. Since Miami’s dramatic 34-31 overtime victory on Christmas Eve 2016, the Dolphins have been winless at Orchard Park (0-3). You can follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori By: Brandon Liguori 2020 has been a challenging year to swallow. The NBA family mourned the tragic passing of longtime commissioner David Stern and five-time champion Kobe Bryant this past January. Four months later, the NFL world was saddened to hear that Don Shula, the winning-est coach in NFL history, died peacefully in his home Monday morning at the age of 90, one of his children confirmed. Compiling a total record of 347-173-6, Shula was best known for leading the NFL's only undefeated team in its 100-year history: the 1972 Miami Dolphins. In a team statement posted on their official Twitter account, the Miami Dolphins said “Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years.  He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene. Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to Mary Anne along with his children Dave, Donna, Sharon, Anne and Mike.” Before taking over as head coach of the Dolphins in 1970, Shula was a 7-year head coach for the Baltimore Colts, earning a 71-23-4 regular season mark and 2-3 postseason record. During his 25-year tenure in South Florida, Shula earned back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1972 and 1973. Shula’s Miami teams maintained stout offensive line play, strong running games, elite quarterback play, excellent wide receivers and a strong, ferocious defensive unit. A year after defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII, the Dolphins had a chance at completing a three-peat, but fell to the Oakland Raiders, 28-26 in the 1974 AFC Divisional round.  “Coach Shula will truly be missed. He embodied the definition of ‘greatness.’ He brought that winning attitude with him every day and made everyone around him better. I want to thank him for always believing in me. He made me a better player and person. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Shula family,” Dolphins Hall-of-Fame quarterback Dan Marino said. Shula drafted Marino in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft from the University of Pittsburgh. Shula earned AP NFL Coach of the Year award a record four times (1964, 1967, 1968, 1972). “Don Shula is a legend who had an incredible impact on the game of football. He was an innovator who competed for championships and over several eras of professional football,” current head coach Brian Flores said. “My conversations with players like Larry Csonka, Dwight Stephenson, Bob Baumhower, Nat Moore and Dan Marino all centered around the lessons they learned from Coach Shula. His impact went far beyond games won and championships. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.” Shula became the 11th member inducted into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll on November 25, 1996, joining Joe Robbie, Csonka, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Paul Warfield, Nick Buoniconti, the 1972 undefeated team, Larry Little, Stephenson and Bob Kuechenberg. Prior to kickoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54 this past February, Shula, Bill Belichick, Paul Brown, Joe Gibbs, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll and Bill Walsh were inducted into the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. “I was saddened to hear the passing of Coach Shula. He was the driving force behind everything we accomplished with the Dolphins. Whether it was his force of will, his organization, his work ethic, sense of integrity, or his total focus on winning, he modeled us into champions,” former Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese said. “I want to pass along my condolences to Mary Anne and the entire Shula family. I will miss him.” Shula became a South Florida sports icon for his dominance on and off the football field and Dolphins fans will forever be grateful for Shula’s intelligence. Thank you and may you forever Rest in Peace, Coach Shula.  You can follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori
Thrilled to have gotten the opportunity to talk life & football with Renaissance Man, former MIA LB Morlon Greenwood. (Fellow Long Islander!)
A truly fun chat, with a number of surprise impersonations of former college coaches, as well as a MIA coach. 
By: Brandon Liguori Defensive end Charles Harris, Miami’s 2017 first-round selection out of Missouri, was traded Friday to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2021, according to league sources. The 2021 seventh-round pick now gives the Dolphins 10 total picks next spring, with two coming in the opening round. Unable to live up to his first-round status, Harris totaled just 3.5 sacks in his three seasons with the Dolphins, starting in just eight of a possible 41 games. Brian Flores and Chris Grier grabbed many weapons on the defensive side of the football during the free agency period and the draft, including Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson and Raekwon Davis, so the organization elected to move a different way with a struggling Harris, who will become an UFA in 2022.  Harris will now get an opportunity to work and develop under Atlanta’s Dan Quinn, who served as the defensive coordinator a season ago. A day prior to Harris’ move, the Dolphins released defensive end Taco Charlton, the Dallas Cowboys’ 2017 first-round draft choice from Michigan.
Charlton, who was acquired off waivers before the Dolphins’ Week 3 contest at Dallas this past season, led the team in sacks (5.0) despite playing in 10 of a possible 16 games. It was reported late Friday night that the Kansas City Chiefs signed Charlton to a one-year deal, with the defending Super Bowl champions now being Charlton’s third team in four years. You can follow Brandon on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori
By: Jason Sarney
Greatness in sports is earned, not given. In the NFL this rings more true because of the thousands and thousands who have played this game, a mere 300 or so have been immortalized in Canton, Ohio in Football’s Hall of Fame. The vast majority of those enshrinees hold many distinctions. Record-holders, innovators, trailblazers, champions, legends and icons. There may be a handful of those players who embody each and every one of those labels. However, there are also a few who were not able to grasp a trophy, the ultimate team award in the ultimate team game. For some, the Lombardi Trophy was never hoisted in the air, and a ring was never fitted. Just the jacket and the bust, and the legions of fans they earned over their careers. Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Dan Fouts, Earl Campbell, Jim Kelly and the great Dan Marino are just some Canton-ites who never got the opportunity to call themselves NFL Champions. Does this fact tarnish their achievements? Absolutely not. If this was tennis of golf, and these players won all the regular-season tournaments, but no Majors, then we can talk about individual failure to “win the big one.” In Dan Marino’s case, he did everything in his power and sometimes more to put the Miami Dolphins, the only professional team he had ever known, in position to win. Marino did not play defense, he did not kick field goal attempts, and he certainly did not tuck it and run whenever there was trouble in the pocket. All he did, was sling that ball better than anyone who ever tried prior to him. And at the same time, much like Michael Jordan motivated young future stars to lace up the high-tops and hit the courts, #13 motivated the young Peyton Mannings, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes of the world to go outside and throw. Even if it was to a hanging tire from a tree branch in the yard. Be like Mike? Sure, for many. But for a lot of football players focusing on the Quarterback position, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was also, be like, “Dan the Man.” When watching past players like John Elway, Jim Kelly and Peyton Manning discuss the greatest passes of all-time, sometimes the just use one name… “Danny.” 
What Dan Marino did, in an era of smash-mouth football on both sides of the line, was elevate the position. He was a Trailblazer. An innovator. An Icon.
A no-look pass? Yea – Marino did it against the Eagles and it was even for a score.
Another Marino moment was when he returned from a 1993 season, and possible career-ending Achilles injury and beat the Patriots in a memorable opener, 39-35. Marino, on essentially one leg, a decade into his career, officially started Phase 2 of his career, and saw a 4th and 5 in the 4th while trailing as just another memory to make. 4th and 5. From midfield. While trailing. He did this…
Even before the 1990’s, Marino made his mark immediately. As a rookie, he threw for 20 touchdowns, but his sophomore season was unlike any other the league had ever seen. His season marks of 5,084 yards and 48 scores were records at the time. To put it into perspective – Marino’s 5,000 plus passing yards obliterated the average seasonal number.
The only other people remotely close were Lynn Dickey in 1983 with 4,458 passing yards and Dan Fouts who hit 4,000 plus multiple times. Fouts and Dickey were the only two quarterbacks prior to Marino to hit 4,000+ passing yards. That’s it. In terms of touchdowns, Marino’s 48 passing scores put him in another stratosphere historically, as the only person to scratch the upper 30’s in passing touchdowns prior to 1984 was Y.A. Title’s 36. Marino broke the number 40, and after that magical season, it took 15 more seasons for an NFL passer to eclipse 40 again. Kurt Warner threw for 41 scores in 1999. In fact, just eight individual quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown for 40+ TDs in a single season. It is argued that Dan Marino invented to long-ball in football. He invented the “wow” throw. He did things that should not have been done by a slow-footed, “pocket-passer.” Did Marino scramble? Not a lot at all. Did he navigate the pocket like Magellan during a storm and come away clean and dry as he got his pass off? He sure did.
What Marino has earned in his career are things that can never be taken from him but may not come in physical form. He does not have a ring on a mantle or on his finger.
What he does have is a legacy. A legacy that has taken a life of its own. The number 13, to me, is more than a number. It is the definition of what a great quarterback can do for a team, a city, a fan-base and a league. We all have our favorite moments, players, numbers and plays. For me, the mere fact Dan Marino gave 18 seasons of every inch and fiber of his being, to put his team in position to win each week is the personification of greatness. A knee, an Achilles, a back, an elbow, it didn’t matter. The toughness Marino showed, the mental and physical gifts he brought to this game, to me, will not be matched. And frankly, it is not fair to him, nor to the young quarterback being handed the torch to compare to. When it comes to the number, Dan Marino has earned the right to never see it on another player in Aqua and Orange. He has earned the right to be larger than life in Miami. He has earned the right, to be called the Franchises best player. What has a rookie earned? With all due respect and with all due hope Tua Tagovailoa is the next greatest thing to happen to Miami, there must be a bar set that is not too overwhelming to achieve. Tua must come in, forge his own legacy with whatever number that may be and create his own path to greatness. To start a career in the shadow of #13 is what many past Dolphins quarterbacks could not handle. Without the pressure of being the 2nd coming, it just did not work for nearly two dozen attempts. Will it work now with Tua? We all hope, but my hope is this. Since 1999, when Marino retired, many have tried, and all have failed to step into the number of the Great 13. Maybe it is time a new warrior enters the battlefield and this time, ready to create his own number of significance. A number that will resonate with the fans lucky enough to watch him in his career, as well as the fans whose parents and elders had the joy of telling them about in the future. There is only one #13. Hopefully we can all say in a decade or two…there is, and there will always be...only 1 Tua. 
You can follow Jason on Twitter @Orangeaquaman
|
Latest Dolphins NewsStory Archives
July 2020
|
RSS Feed
