|
By: Shawn Williams The Miami Dolphins beat the New York Jets 20-3. Notice the lack of excitement in that sentence. I, like most fans, are happy to leave East Rutherford, NJ with a win, however this was about as “ho-hum” as you could get. I struggled to ever really feel engaged. There wasn’t any real doubt that Miami would exit the victor. The game didn’t offer much in terms of big plays, and despite Miami needing to win, it felt as meaningless as any game could feel. Maybe it was the lack of Tua, or perhaps it was the same problems that have riddled Miami in every other game this season bringing feelings of frustration. This win felt so on par with most other games this season, right down to Xavien Howard snagging another interception. Anyway, let’s take the “W”. Here are my 13 thoughts. 1). Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first start since the team last played the Jets. He looked like the same old Fitz, the good AND the bad. There were misplaced balls that could’ve led to turnovers. There were also well thrown 50-50 balls to Mike Gesicki and DeVante Parker. Those are the balls, as the in-game commentators suggested multiple times, that Tua will need to gather the confidence to throw. It was nice to see a more “open” playbook again with Fitz at the helm. He played with his veteran savvy and did exactly what was expected of him. Ho-hum, good job. 2). Both DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki again showed why they need to be the highlight of Chan Gailey’s offense. They are both very reliable with their hands, and most always win their match-ups. As stated before, Tua hasn’t quite thrown the 50-50 balls...yet, but Ryan Fitzpatrick with his trust in those two continue to result in positive productions. Parker had his 10th 100-yard game, and Gesicki pulled down a nice touchdown over the top of his defender. 3). Another tough day on the ground for Miami. DeAndre Washington was the best of them today, but that’s not really saying much. Both Matt Breida and Patrick Laird had fumbles that resulted in turnovers. I suspect the running game will continue to be a wart the rest of this season with shaky blocking and lack of better talent at the position. The running game needs to be a top priority for GM Chris Grier in the off-season as its grown incredibly stale and frustrating. 4). And another tough day against the run for Miami’s defense. I suppose it wasn’t terrible, but too many times Frank Gore rushed for decent gains and first downs. I believe this will be easier to fix for Miami than other issues. Raekwon Davis has the potential to be a monster at Nose Tackle, he just needs to keep learning. Ogbah, Lawson and Wilkins are all decent run defenders. Miami will likely target another Line Backer or two after this season, which should help fortify the run defense, and close the gap on completing the build of Brian Flores’ unit. 5). Miami continued to struggle rushing the passer without the blitz packages. Opposing quarterbacks seem to have forever when there’s only four down lineman rushing, and for Sam Darnold it was no different. Apart from the rush defense, this is really the defense’s only other flaw. I’d have to say that is a good thing, seeing as the Dolphins are only in year 2 of the rebuild, and already boast one of the best statistical defenses in the NFL. 6). The Dolphins evened the all-time series with the Jets at 55-55-1 after completing the season sweep. 7). Tua “may” miss another week with his jammed thumb. That is not a good thing. Brian Flores reiterated in the post-game interview that it’s Tua’s job when he’s healthy, and it should be. The problem is the Dolphins face the lowly Bengals next week, and that would provide an ideal opportunity for Tua to try and find a rhythm and gain some more experience. After next week, the Dolphins play 4 straight pivotal games starting with the Kansas City Chiefs, in what could be a shootout. I think it would behoove Tua to get his finger in order and gain some more playing time prior to facing Patrick Mahomes. 8). Jason Sanders continues his historic season for the Miami Dolphins. Sanders nailed two more over 50 yards, one from 51 and one from 54. He only has one miss on the season, and at this point should be considered the front runner for the Pro Bowl. 9). Speaking of the Pro Bowl, there’s no one more deserving than Xavien Howard. Heck, there can be a case made for Defensive Player of the Year. Howard pulled down his league leading seventh interception of the season and I cannot confidently say there is a better cornerback in the NFL than Howard. His ball skills are unparalleled, he catches almost anything thrown within his grasp. Howard rarely makes mistakes or let’s his man loose. I’d say X is earning every penny of his massive contract. 10). I mentioned Nik Needham’s growth last week, and that showed again this week with a nice interception off of a poorly thrown ball. I think it’s safe to say he’s become a solid NFL slot corner, but he’s showing he can blossom into something even better.  11). Jakeem Grant is such a polarizing figure on this team. He’s capable of taking a punt or kick to the house at any time, and he’s shown he can be a viable pass catcher as well. Jakeem also has had a tendency to “drop” the big play, and today was no different. Ryan Fitzpatrick found him on a deep ball (thrown a little short, but easily catchable) that Jakeem couldn’t bring in. Fortunately, there was a highly questionable pass interference call on the play that made up for Grant’s drop. With Miami’s passing game struggling as it is, it makes Grant’s inconsistency that much more frustrating. His potential has always been there, he just needs to find a way to bring it on every play.
12). The Dolphins reclaimed a playoff spot with their win and some help from others. The Atlanta Falcons devoured the Raiders, while the Titans beat the Colts pushing those teams behind Miami. This puts the Dolphins back in control of their own destiny. 13). Miami fell prey to a “trap game” last week in Denver, next week has the same eerie feel. The Dolphins cannot take the Bengals lightly, Joe Burrow or not. Cincinnati is a frisky team that usually stays in every game. Their defense is solid, and they have weapons on offense. Let’s hope Miami learned a lesson last week. Please welcome Shawn Williams to PhinManiacs and please check him out on Twitter @swilliams3205
0 Comments
The Monday Morning Quarterback with Jay Fiedler & Jason Sarney - Miami Scores 20-3 Win Over New York11/30/2020 On this edition of The Monday Morning Quarterback, Jay Fiedler breaks down the differences of Ryan Fitzpatrick's command of the huddle and line of scrimmage, versus rookie Tua Tagovailoa's. Jay takes us through Miami's scoring drive to Mike Gesicki in the 2nd quarter, and continues to analyze the ins and outs of Chan Gailey's offensive system. Follow Jay and Jason on Twitter: @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman The guys are back on Wednesday for the Mid-Week All-22 Breakdown! By: Brandon Liguori Filling in for Tua Tagovailoa, who was inactive due to a left thumb injury, Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins took care of business on the road Sunday afternoon against Adam Gase and the winless New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, 20-3. Fitzpatrick, who last started in Miami’s 24-0 victory vs. these same Jets Oct. 18, finished with 257 passing yards and two touchdown scores, too, putting the Dolphins back in the AFC playoff conversation. In two games against the Jets in 2020, Brian Flores’ unit out-scored Gase’s unit, 44-3. “I thought Ryan played well. He made enough plays to help us win the game. He spread the ball around to a number of different receivers,” Flores said. Miami’s defense did not have to worry about veteran Joe Flacco this time around, as the former USC product Sam Darnold took the nod under center in the second meeting. Darnold, taking three sacks, threw two interceptions, one at the hands of Xavien Howard, who pulled down his league-leading seventh interception in the fourth quarter. Miami trailed early, 3-0, but 20 unanswered points sealed the deal, as the Dolphins completed the two-game season sweep of their division rival for the second time in the last three seasons. “I felt like I missed a couple throws out there. Obviously made two bad decisions which led to the two picks, so I’ve got to be better from that standpoint,” Darnold said, who drops to 1-4 in five career meetings against Miami.  There were certain moments in the game, most notably the third quarter, where the Dolphins were playing sloppy football, but give credit to Josh Boyer’s unit for keeping Darnold and company out of the end zone. When a media member had asked Gase about why his team has struggled to score points against Miami, Gase’s response, a pretty interesting one, was this: “Because they have one of the top defenses. They’re tough. Those corners are tough. They do a good job of mixing up their fronts and their defenses. We just didn’t take advantage of any opportunities. When we had guys open, we didn’t hit them. When we made some good throws, we didn’t finish the play. They’re a tough defense to go against. You have very, very small window of error.”
Flores’ group has a perfect opportunity to improve to 8-4 next Sunday, as the 2-8-1 Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals pay a visit to Hard Rock Stadium, who suffered a close 19-17 loss Sunday vs. the New York Giants. By: Jorge Hinojosa Season sweep of the green team from NYC, that’s always a good result. Let’s get into the game: The good:
 Photo Credit: www.miamidolphins.com The bad:
The ugly:
It’s never easy to win in the NFL and the loss by the Raiders helps the Dolphins as they continue to vie for a playoff berth. Next up is the Burrow-less Bengals. Another game the Dolphins ‘should’ win. Please welcome Jorge Hinojosa to the PhinManiacs team! Please follow him on Twitter @FranciscoHinoPe
The Miami Dolphins went into New York, and albeit sloppy and not the best of performances, leave winners with a 20-3 victory. Jorge and Jason break it down and talk about how underappreciated Nik Needham is, and the apology he is rightfully owed.
Find the Guys on Twitter @OrangeAquaman @FranciscoHinoPe and on www.phinmaniacs.com 
By: Jason Sarney The journeyman, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was once again back in the saddle for the Miami Dolphins, on the road against the New York Jets Sunday afternoon. All he did was lead them to a 20-3 victory, making them 7-4. Fitzpatrick started off 4 of 4 which was the same way he started his fourth quarter off the bench performance last week to prove that he is someone who could just be thrown into a game as if we all normal people can simply pick it up and ride a bike. Fitzpatrick finished the game 24 of 39 passing and 257 yards with a pair of touchdowns to his tight ends, Mike Gesicki and Adam Shaheen. Durham Smythe, another tight end contributed as well with three catches for 19 yards. Although not a picture perfect display of football The Miami Dolphins went on the road and did what they needed to do against a winless team, while being down two running backs, a top receiver, a starting offensive lineman, and of course being relegated to a backup quarterback. The first half was a mix of decent defense and solid offense through the air while the running game was still something left to be desired. The first half saw a poised Fitzpatrick lead the Dolphins on a scoring drive that ended in a beautiful read hitting Mike Gesicki in the end zone giving him an opportunity to go up and get a jump ball for six points. Jason Sanders made it a seven point play an added two, 50-yard plus field goals giving him eight for the season in that category, as well as 10 consecutive makes from that distance on, which makes both of those figures NFL leading statistics. If there was ever a guaranteed bet for a Pro Bowler on this offense, it is Jason Sanders, and he may just be the NFL's most consistent, reliable, accurate, and best kicker. DeVante Parker, who may have something to say about a Pro Bowl, was once again outstanding with 8 receptions for 119 yards. Once again he proved to be the lead target and played as well as he has been all season, reeling in passes while being blanketed in coverage, despite the lack of separation which has been a knock on these Dolphin receivers all year long. Fitzpatrick hit 10 different Miami targets, regardless of that separation. It is that separation which is needed both in route-running and score and record, which is going to be a theme in the five games remaining for this 7-4 Miami Dolphins team. The Dolphins entered the 2nd half against the pitiful Jets with a lead, and with the ball. They were heading into the game 6-0 when leading after the break. They are now 7-0 with that statistic. The Dolphins were able to create turnovers with interceptions by “ghosts” Nik Needham and Xavien Howard. Needham’s 3rd career interception made that 17-straight games with a turnover for the Dolphins defense, which is a club record. Howard added to his league-leading INT total in 2020 with his 7th. As mentioned ad nauseam, Nik Needham has known Sam Darnold for years growing up back in San Clemente, California. Two of his signature plays, a sack last season and today's pick, came against his west coast pal in Darnold.  All in all, Miami went on the road as a hurt team both physically and spiritually, and healed a bit. The running game is what has to heal next, as well as a solidified offensive line that is not the worst in the league, yet has a very long way to go to be competitive. Both Matt Breida and Patrick Laird fumbled on consecutive running calls, which is never encouraging, and DeAndre Washington showed signs of serviceability with some decent runs and moves. Breida was able to rush for a respectable 4.5 yards per carry in 8 attempts, and Laird’s lone 9-yard run resulted in a turnover.
With Tua Tagovailoa’s status already unknown for next week’s home return to Hard Rock Stadium against the Bengals, it will be another interesting week of practice and preparation for a Brian Flores' team who no-doubt was lead this week by a fiery and angry head coach. They get a Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati team, and a win gets them to 8-4 with a pair of homes games remaining against the Chiefs and Patriots and road games with massive playoff implications at Las Vegas and a Finale at Buffalo that could mean the division. There is a lot to learn, and a lot to fix, yet this year-two of a rebuild. And on November 29th, Week 12, they are at 7-4. Have a terrific start to your holiday season, count your blessings, and Fins Up. Please follow Jason Sarney on Twitter @OrangeAquaman
It's Fins and Jets Week!
Drew Welch and Jason Sarney talk Week 12's Miami at New York match-up and the Dolphins look to get to 7-4 and sweep the winless Jets! Find the Guys on Twitter @TheDrewWelch @OrangeAquaman 
By: Hussam Patel
Welcome to Juice’s Jumbo Board where each week I highlight an impact player the Miami Dolphins can target in next year's NFL Draft. After Picking up 11 players in the 2020 draft, the Dolphins look to build their organization through the 2021 draft and compete in the postseason. Currently the Dolphins hold the following projected picks not counting compensatory picks (November 28th Update):
RD1: Pick 11 (From Houston) RD1: Pick 17 RD2: Pick 42(From Houston) RD2: Pick 50 RD3: Pick 81 RD4: Pick 122(Swap with Las Vegas) RD4: Pick 145 (Swap with Las Vegas) RD6: Pick 196 (From Houston) RD6: Pick 210 (From Pittsburgh) WR is a position of Need coming into the 2021 NFL Draft. Especially with the opt-outs of Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns, with the trade of Isaiah Ford and injury of Preston Williams- it’s a BIG need. The Dolphins WR core is the league worst in creating separation, something which Tua Tagovailoa needs. We saw the WRs go up against Denver and failed to gain space against opposing DBs leading to Tua to go to his 3rd, even 4th read, and take on 6 sacks. A recipe for an inept offense and disaster. Now what if Miami doesn’t get one of the Top WRs in the class? Say Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle aren’t available. Fortunately, this WR class is very deep and has WRs that are Day-2 picks that would usually go Day-1 in previous drafts. A sleeper pick could be, Chris Olave for the Miami Dolphins. 
The NFL passing game and WR position is changing. Out with the old Big Body WRs contesting catches in the air, in with the new shifty small WRs that blow by DBs and gain yards after the catch. This is who Olave is; a burner with footwork that leaves cornerbacks stunned. A reliable target for Tua, who feasts on his WRs getting separation.
Olave is a smooth route runner, slick like butter, and can run the entire route tree. His routes are very polished and uses his fluid hips and feet to hesitate defenders over the top. Underneath, usually on the mesh and slant concepts he uses his speed, while not burning speed, to accelerate against LBs to use the zone coverage space and gain chunk yardage. Even though he’s small bodied and weighs less than 200 lb, he plays bigger than his size and can contest long balls and catches over defenders emphasizing his sticky hands as a WR.
The only knock is Olave’s size against bigger bodied DBs, and wouldn’t be able to be efficient in the boundary position against NFL DBs. As a sophomore he made eye opening plays but did not have so much production as Ohio State had KJ Hill, Terry McLaurin and Paris Campbell. So far Olave has been a surprise and possible #1 WR for the Buckeyes this season. We have to see his production level as the season progresses and how he handles himself in big games such as the College Football Playoffs
The big key for this WR group is its ability to get separation on, especially on quick throws and RPOs for Tua and the offense. The Dolphins don’t have that yet. With Olave that can change. While Olave is not projected to be a 1st round WR. The Dolphins can take a LB like Michah Parsons and a RB like Etienne/Harris with the first two 1st round picks. Allowing both offense and defense to Improve and picking Olave with the first 2nd round pick. Olave would become Tua’s new best friend, excel in the RPO game and create separation, and move those chains, keeping the defense resting on the sidelines.
Can you keep a secret for me? The last time the Dolphins picked up a Buckeye Receiver was Ohio State WR Coach Brian Hartline. Just something to think about. Keep an eye out for Olave Dolphins fans. Please welcome Hussam Patel to PhinManiacs and please give him a follow on Twitter @AirXAlpha1721 The Saturday Scouting Combine with Brandon Liguori and Hussam Patel - PhinManiacs PodCast Network11/28/2020
Brandon Liguori and Hussam Patel are two aspiring journalists and podcasters who are each finishing up their college studies but both possess professional level knowledge!
As part of the PhinManiacs.com Varsity Program, Brandon and Hussam will be featured on PhinManiacs as writers and weekly co-hosts, bringing Dolphin Fans collegiate and professional football content daily! Please follow the guys on Twitter: Brandon at @BrandonRLiguoriand Hussam at @AirXAlpha1721 By: Jason Sarney I wrote a month and change ago, that the Spaghetti Western saga that is Ryan Fitzpatrick was not a finale upon losing his starting role with the Miami Dolphins. It was a lead to yet another movie. Not a sequel, per say, rather another Act in what seems to be an endless drama in which no one can predict. While we have seen The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the crafty veteran, there was a feel we haven’t seen the last of the Outlaw Ryan Fitzpatrick. Returning in a 4th quarter relief comeback attempt last week against Denver, the 38-year-old who celebrated his birthday on November 24th, went 4 for 4 in his pass attempts off the bench. Remember, last month when losing his role to Tua Tagovailoa, Fitzpatrick said somberly, yet confidently, “"I’m always ready to go; I can probably come out of the stands in 5 years if I need to without having thrown a football." Fitzpatrick finished his efforts last Sunday with 12-18 passing for 117 yards yet threw a game-clinching interception in the end zone which gave Denver their 4th seasonal win, and Miami their fourth loss. It was that fatal flaw that may resonate with fans, yet he did what he has done for 16 years, and that is show-up, and put his team in a position to compete. Of course, there are varying degrees of magic to tragic on the Fitz scale, but the journey is nothing short of an adventure, and ready for a script to be penned with the ending still unknown. As if you can’t make more of this up, Fitzpatrick, who is universally loved by all, gets a chance to poetically re-claim his starting job against a former team of his. The same team in which he helped lead a 24-0 victory over, however, was the beginning of the end of his “starter” role, as he was about to enter that next week as a “back-up” once again. Although initially showing a painfully honest take following that win and “benching,” there was a feeling this was not the last we would see of him, as mentioned, and was truly believed at that moment by yours truly. There were whispers that there should be a trade concocted, sending Fitzpatrick to a QB needy team in the midst of a playoff run. However – I have some news for you…he is already on a QB-needy team. The Miami Dolphins need Ryan Fitzpatrick. Week 12’s match-up against the Jets is exactly why. With Tua having a Thumb injury, which could happen to any QB regardless of a medical chart, this is a blessing in disguise. For all parties. Tua has a chance to re-watch a veteran. Learn a cadence. A better command of the huddle, and master of getting plays communicated, which he could be doing a better job of going from audio call, to QB-wrist translation, to verbalizing the play to his unit, and marching to the huddle. Ryan Fitzpatrick has become what is the embodiment of another franchise in a base of fans. While the world of Fin Fans love to love Ryan Fitzpatrick as a person, yet hate to see those mistakes, he is now the Dolphins 12th Man. The Spark off the bench like a NBA 6th man.
Fitzpatrick may play a game and get back to being a back-up, however, if he can secure a Win, he has done his job, and that is what a team is comprised of. Players who make sacrifices, and at the same time are ready to hear their number called, and perform to the best of their ability, because they are prepared and ready. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be prepared. He will be ready. Will he be perfect? Perhaps not. And Miami does not need him to be. They need him to be the quarterback he was against Jacksonville. That would be the model to hope for, as the Jets are winless, desperate, and even with that, a tad dangerous. Having said that, this is a game Ryan Fitzpatrick should dominate if not dictate. Lead and not lose. He will do his, and then in all likeliness, return to the normal role…of Back-up Quarterback for the Miami Dolphins…who just may be the most valuable 2nd string player in the National Football League at the very moment. By: Chip Turner The turkey has been eaten. Thanks have been given. Most importantly, we’ve all had the opportunity to make jokes about the Cowboys fake punt from yesterday, which was clearly drawn up by Charlie from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. There has been ample time to recover from the butt-whooping the Dolphins took last Sunday at the hands of the Broncos, and we can all look forward to Sunday with great anticipation. It’s time to play the Jets. For all of the storied battles between the Fins and the Bills in the late 80s/early 90s, and the numerous times Miami was a thorn in New England’s side during their dynasty, there’s simply nothing like a Dolphins/Jets game to bring pure revulsion to the surface. It comes down to this; Dolphins fans and Jets fans just don’t like each other. Native South Floridians aren’t particularly fond of New Yorkers. Why is this, you ask? For one thing, a considerable number of New Yorkers move to South Florida every winter with what seems to be the sole purpose of complaining about the bagels and pizza. For another, despite the fact that said New Yorkers decided they didn’t want to be in New York any more, they will continually tell everyone how much better New York is than whatever place they’re currently located. They usually do this at the calm, measured decibel level of a commercial jet at takeoff. I could go on, but for a far more lucid read about how much New York and Miami don’t like each other I strongly recommend Dave Barry’s classic piece, “Can New York Save Itself?” You’ll thank me later, I promise. Instead, it’s time to focus on the five most satisfying Miami wins in their storied rivalry. Honorable mentions: December 20, 1992. Pete Stoyanovich missed an extra point that would have tied the game with less than three minutes left in regulation. A young Pete Carroll, defensive coordinator for the New York Jets at that time, made a “choke” gesture at Stoyanovich. Minutes later, Stoyanovich made up for his error by jamming a game-winning field goal down Carroll’s throat as time expired. January 1, 2012. Jason Taylor signed with the Jets in 2010. Dolphins fans were not amused. Fortunately, life is full of redemption stories. Jason Taylor re-signed with the Dolphins in 2011 and played the final game of his career against the Jets, helping to knock them out of the playoffs. October 19, 1975. The Jets beat the Dolphins 8 straight times in the 60s, and apparently Miami took it personally. Once the 70s got under way, they took control of the series, and dominated the first half of the decade in the rivalry. One of those contests was an absolute beatdown of the Namath-led Jets in 1975. Namath went 8 for 33 with 6 interceptions in a 43-0 shutout. November 24, 2009. Let’s get one thing straight about this game: The Jets outplayed Miami for all but three plays of the game. Unfortunately for the Jets, those three plays were a Jason Taylor fumble return for a touchdown and two 100+ yard kickoff returns for a just-benched Ted Ginn. Miami wins, 30-25. #5: “Karma Does Not Like Hot Sauce” – October 28, 2012. Before the third game of the 2012 season, Jets head coach Rex Ryan stirred controversy when he stated that the Jets were going to put some “hot sauce” on Miami RB Reggie Bush. Both Bush and Jets CB Darelle Revis were injured during the game, with Revis being lost for the year. Bush later stated that this was karma at work, while Ryan suggested that Bush had misinterpreted his comments. Ryan never clarified what exactly he DID mean by the hot sauce comment, which makes a potential literal interpretation awkward, even by Ryan’s standards. Anyway, the Dolphins smacked the Jets around in the rematch later that year, and Ryan didn’t ever prattle on about condiments again. #4: “I’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway” – November 24, 1986. Billy Joel fans will recognize the above quote as a lyric from Miami 2017, a song about New Yorkers who move to Miami and complain about the bagels and pizza. Dolphin fans who can remember the 1986 season might remember as it the night the Dolphins completely derailed what looked like a Jets march toward the Super Bowl. The mighty 1986 Jets marched into a raucous Orange Bowl that Monday evening with a 10-1 record, and left on the losing end of a 45-3 lambasting. That Jets squad didn’t win another regular-season game, and lost to the Browns in the divisional playoffs. To date, this is the second-worst blowout in the history of Monday Night Football. #3: “Was it the Chad?” – December 28, 2008. Karma has not favored the New York Jets in this rivalry, as proven by Hot Sauce references, Pete Carroll, Sal Alosi, and Adam Gase. But this? This one everyone saw coming. In 2008, the Jets released Chad Pennington for reasons that are still unclear, and Miami pounced on him faster than my teenage son pounces on leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The Dolphins proceeded to have one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in sports history, and marched into the Meadowlands for a Week 17 showdown against Pennington’s former team. Both teams had playoff hopes, but for Pennington and the Dolphins, it was simple. Win, and you’re in. They did, and they were.  #2: “Miami Was One Tough Mudder” – January 23, 1983. For full disclosure, this was the title of the Sports Illustrated article that covered that game. It’s also perfectly apt for the setting. The only postseason meeting between these two franchises has been well-documented, and the New York media complains about it to this day. I’m not kidding. Miami beat New York in the 1982 AFC Championship on a playing surface that was more mud pit than football field. Also true; a relative who will remain nameless apparently said, “New Yorkers are filthy animals. They should have felt right at home.” #1: “The Fake Spike Game” – November 27, 1994. Everyone who knows football knows what this is, and it’s #1 because it changed the history of the Jets for years. The Jets were headed for first place in the division, with an 18-point lead late in the third, and then everything just came apart for them. If you’re reading this article, you know how the game ended. Miami wins in the final seconds on a fake spike by Marino, and the Jets went into a two-year tailspin. Carroll never wins another game for the Jets, is fired after the season, and the Jets hire Rich Kotite as Head Coach. From the Fake Spike game through the end of 1996, the Jets compile a record of 4-32. You’ll notice I left out quite a few great games that ended as Jets victories, but that’s not what this column was about. This Sunday, the Jets host Miami, and Dolphins fans hope to feast on one more Adam Gase prepared game.
Ron Hiatt and Brandon Liguori join Jason Sarney to talk Jets week and they go back a bit to talk about the poor team performance against Denver. After a brief analysis on last week's winning-streak busted by the Broncos, there is nothing like a winless divisional opponent after a thanksgiving meal to feast on for dessert.
Check out Ron's latest piece on the Offensive Line development and check him out on Twitter @pacificfinfan1 Brandon's game previews and game summaries are a constant fixture on www.phinmaniacs.com and he can be found on Twitter @BrandonRLiguori By: Jorge Hinojosa Jorge’s weekly preview: #ets, round 2. I don’t know about you but after last week’s loss I’m excited and eager to see how our Dolphins bounce back. As Jason Sarney and Carter Melrose have pointed out in different podcasts (listen to them if you haven’t already!), it’s easy to be excited for your team to play when they’re on a hot streak. But I for one, am really curious, excited, and eager to see how they bounce back after the loss to Denver. In paper, facing the winless #-E-T-S (yeah, no way am I writing their name in this column), seems like the perfect opportunity. But the green team from NYC is in fact playing a lot better, will have Darnold back and are probably eager to save their season by beating the Dolphins this week. That just makes it all much more exciting to see how Tua and the offense, Van Noy and the defense, Coaches Gailey and Boyer bounce back after the humbling loss at Denver last week. Now without further ado, let’s get to it: When? 1:00 pm ET at MetLife Stadium How did we get here? The Dolphins come into this game playing what can be described as the worst game of the season. Denver had the perfect game plan on both offense and defense and were able steal one from the Dolphins. The big headline of course was Coach Flores’s decision to bench Tua in the 4th quarter (You can listen on why I agree with the call, here: https://t.co/LyizSX1uwE?amp=1 ) and go with Ryan Fitzpatrick. The #-ET-S come into this game after another loss, this time at the hands of Justin Herbert and the Chargers. When the guys from NYC have the ball. Look, I’m not sure at all of what weapon we should be concerned about? Their best player is by far rookie tackle Mekhi Becton who is as good as advertised but he can’t catch the ball or run with the ball. Therefore, we must highlight time-beating veteran Frank Gore. One of the most respected players in the league and who at 37 years young leads the team with 447 yards. (For comparison, the Dolphins leading rusher, Myles Gaskin has 347 yards). The Dolphins run defense was exposed (yet again) v. the Broncos. I know and understand this defense is built to play with a lead, but they need to find a way to shut down opposing running games or at least slow them down enough. If the #E-T-S are forced to pass, even with Darnold back, the Dolphins defense should be able to tee off on him and force him to re-live his quite of “Seeing ghosts out there”. The Dolphins amoeba defense will have to adapt after the Broncos did a pretty good job stopping it last game and expect to see Wilkins have a big return from his 2-week stay on the Covid list. AVG should continue his dominant form and don’t be surprised to see Howard go on another pick-streak with a second interception in as many weeks.  When the Dolphins have the ball: Raise your hand if you were among those calling Tua a bust after last week, questioning why we picked him and asking for him to be benched. OK, now use that hand you raise to slap yourself. Tua is a great, fantastic, incredible QB prospect. That is beyond debate. He is also just 4 games into his career a year after suffering a career-threatening injury. During that time, he has yet to have a pick counted against him (I will admit, he has been lucky in that regard), has led the Dolphins to victories over 2 NFC West teams and against rookie-phenom Justin Herbert and lead a 4th quarter comeback against one of those NFC West in Arizona. So far, he’s been as advertised. Last week, was unfortunately a perfect storm against him. No running game, a fantastic game-plan by the Broncos that were forcing him to throw 50/50 balls (Something he has often stated he is not used to doing), hit him a bunch of times, sacking him 6 and forced Coach Flores to Bench him. Now, I am excited to see him play a full game against the team he had his debut against and make a statement. Now that statement doesn’t need to be 300+ yards or 2+ TD’s, it just needs to show that he learned from last week, improved from one week to the next and that this is his team and his offense. Coach Gailey is also in need of making a statement showing last week was a blip in the radar and that the improvement we had seen during the streak was no accident. Trust your young QB, trust your weapons, don’t be afraid of them making mistakes, let them play. All in all, I’m excited to see the Dolphins bounce back. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Callaway have a much bigger role in the offense and we might even see Lynn Bowden’s return to the active roster this week. On the offensive line look for Jackson to have a much better game and for Hunt to play a lot more given Kindley’s injury that will likely force Jesse Davis (back from the COVID List) to play guard. What to expect? I do not predict another shutout, nor do I predict a cakewalk. I do expect the Dolphins to prove, consistently that they are the better team, I expect them to force the # E-T-S to throw early and tee off on Darnold, and definitely await to see how the offensive playbook will open up after a poor showing at Denver. Dolphins 28 - #-E-T-S 10 Please welcome Jorge Hinojosa to the PhinManiacs team! Please follow him on Twitter @FranciscoHinoPe By: Ron Hiatt It is a, “what have you done lately,” world that we live in and lately the offensive line of the Dolphins laid a big egg in Denver vs the Broncos. An obvious trap game in my eyes and I was interested in seeing how this young rebuilding team would respond. The line struggled in the run game as it has all season, but also struggled in the passing game, failing to protect their young quarterback leading to 6 sacks and 18 pressures. Lately that equals 10 sacks on Tua in 4 games opposed to 10 sacks on Ryan Fitzpatrick in 7 games. It’s one game and it’s a vast improvement overall compared to last year’s group, so it’s too early to hit the panic button. It will be easy to point at three rookies playing significant time as to why the line struggled. The film though shows it’s not that simple. Flores has pointed at the veteran leadership on this line in Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras, and Jesse Davis. Those veterans struggled with communication in this game and it showed. It didn’t help any having to shuffle the lineup on the line due to injury. The game started with left tackle Austin Jackson, left guard Erik Flowers, center Ted Karras, right guard Solomon Kindley, and right tackle Jesse Davis. From the first drive on it was not going to be the day for the line as the pressures came early. Kindley left the game, re-injuring his foot, early in the first half. Davis was moved to right guard with Hunt coming in of the bench at right tackle. Jackson, Flowers, Karras, and Davis were 100% snap players with Kindley 31 of 62 snaps and Hunt with 34 of 62 possible snaps. Kindley surrendered 2 hurries, Hunt 2 hurries, Jackson 9 hurries, Davis 2 hurries 1 QB hit, Flowers 3 hurries, and Karras with 0 hurries.  It’s hard to pick on the three-rookie offensive lineman when the veterans meant to mentor them are struggling as well. The Broncos used stunts, and twists to confuse the protections. The confusion made it difficult to throw the ball and to call plays.
The Dolphins in 2020 have been much better at picking them up the stunts and twists but not last week in Denver. The reason to not panic is the coaching and accountability is different compared to previous seasons. Flores will use this trap game as a teaching moment for his young team. Even with this offensive performance by the Dolphins offensive line the improvement from last in 2019, to middle of the pack with 4 new starters on the line is a positive. The trap was in this 3 game stretch vs Broncos, Jets, and Bengals so now that it happened in the first game of this stretch I look for Flores to pull this team together and refocus them to not overlook any opponent. T/G Jesse Davis is off the Covid IR list yet with the uncertainty of the injury to Kindley, the line could see another lineup combination. OT Julién Davenport could play right tackle and moving Hunt to right guard. Second option could see Adam Pankey or Michael Deiter at right guard allowing for only one change. The future of this offensive line is pointed in the right direction, but holes still remain. Karras is a likely one-year rental at center. While efficient, Karras is a middle to bottom road starting center. Left guard Flowers will have no guaranteed money and could be cut in 2021. I would use one of our two early selections in the 2021 draft and my target would be Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey to anchor the line. I would also target another OT to compete at right tackle to complete the rebuild of this offensive line unit. On to the Jets fins up. Please follow Ron Hiatt on Twitter at @pacificfinfan1 and give his work a read here on PhinManiacs!
By: Shawn Williams
We should strive to give appreciation and thanks all year round. However today is that special day to truly pay grace to all the things that impact yours, and your families lives. I, for one, am truly grateful for the opportunity to write about my favorite football team. I am also thankful for my favorite four hours of the week; watching our Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins, in year two of a rebuild, have exceeded many people’s expectations, and have delivered one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. There’s hope, belief, and spirit surrounding the organization. Paying homage to this holiday, let’s look at things we can thank our team for.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Click to set custom HTML
Carter Melrose and Jorge Hinojosa are back with their dynamic duo of a Preview Podcast highlighting Week 12's Miami at New York Jets match-up.
Find the Guys on Twitter @CarterMelrose7 @FranciscoHinoPe By: Tom Shannon Armando Salguero at the Miami Herald puts his finger on the major issue that the Miami Dolphins offense has to solve. And, no, it’s not Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. "The Dolphins struggled to run the football against the Denver Broncos. That’s something of an understatement because the team rushed for an unremarkable 56 yards on 17 carries. That’s a 3.3 yard per carry average. "'We didn’t run it effectively enough,' [head coach Brian] Flores said. 'Again, when we get behind, it’s hard to continue to stick runs in there. But even when the score was 10-10 or 13-10 or we were up, we didn’t run it effectively enough. “'We’ve got to do a better job up front running it, tight ends, receivers, really everyone.' "Yes, coach, everyone." I was fascinated to watch Sunday's game in part because both defenses had the same game plan. Both defenses knew that they were facing young quarterbacks that might be confused by some razzle-dazzle. Both teams went to disguise looks, something that the Broncos specialize in, and both teams went to stunts and trickery. The "amoeba" defense was a part of each team's game plan. I thought it was interesting that immediately after the game, Flores claimed that the Broncos had "brought pressure". In re-watching the game, he and I both evidently drew the same conclusion because his tune changed on Monday. The Broncos didn’t blitz much and, indeed, they don't blitz much as a rule. It just looked like that because the stunts and the hazy looks caused Tagovailoa to hold the ball and gave his offensive line a great deal of trouble. So, the pressure came anyway. For the Dolphins, the same sequence played out over and over again over the course of the game. Tagovailoa would drop back having made a pre-snap read and with a pre-determined receiver in mind for the ball. Then a defensive end or a linebacker who has been mugging the line in a blitz look would drop back into his passing lane and his first read would be gone. The play was basically over at that point. That is not criticism of Tagovailoa. Sure, you could argue that Tagovailoa is a high first round talent who should be expected to carry the team. You could look at Justin Herbert and argue that he is doing exactly that for a very poor Charger's team with nothing around him. But I do not buy that. Not yet. Not every quarterback who succeeds in his first year can sustain it through the second after the league adjusts. And not every quarterback who is simply average in his first year will be simply average throughout his career. Tagovailoa is a young quarterback who is still learning, and the game has yet to slow down for him. In them mean time the Dolphins are going to have to help him in other areas. And this is where their failure was on Sunday. In truth this was always going to be a bad match up for the Dolphins. The Broncos are an excellent defensive team, and they tackle well. Tagovailoa's strength is his accuracy on short and intermediate passes where he seems to have a gift for hitting receivers in stride to allow them to make big gains after the catch. But the Broncos have exactly the kind of defense that is designed to stop those runs after the catch.  The key to attacking such a game plan is always the same, even with a veteran behind center. And that is to run the ball. And that was the difference on Sunday. One team, the Broncos, ran the ball effectively, the other one, the Dolphins, didn't. One team helped its young quarterback, Drew Lock. The other one didn't.
Unfortunately, this could well be a common situation that we are going to see over the course of the rest of the year. The Dolphins are a poor team at defending the run. They are also a poor team at running the ball. They have a young offensive line in spots, and they are also learning in the same way that Tagovailoa is. This is the risk that you run when you decide to develop a young quarterback at the same time you are trying to sustain a playoff run. The Dolphins defense, despite their inability to stop the running game in spots, is actually an excellent unit. They fly to the ball and they do extremely well when they're playing with a lead. And the opportunity to play with the lead has come frequently this season because the Dolphins have had the ball bounce their way so often. Special teams’ plays have come at opportune times. They have gotten turnovers on a fairly consistent basis. Frankly, this has been the Dolphins' year, one of those magical seasons where the ball just seems to bounce your way and great things simply happen at opportune times. Coaches will say that such years don't "just happen" and that good teams are ready to take advantage of those fortunate events. To some extent that's true. But whatever it is, there's always something special about some years and the Dolphins are in the middle of one. You could question the wisdom of wasting it by choosing to develop Tagovailoa rather than playing it out with the veteran, Ryan Fitzpatrick, behind center. But that ship has sailed, and they have made their decision. In any case, the defense, at least, has been taking full advantage of their opportunities and they've been impressive. But they have to do more against good teams if they are going to achieve the kind of sustained success that they need to go deep into the playoffs. And that means muscling up and stopping the run. And the Dolphins offense has to do the same. Because a good run game is the only antidote for the kind of game plan that the Broncos threw at Tagovailoa on Sunday. And they are going to see it again, now. A lot. If they are going to be successful this season, the Dolphins as a team have to do more to help its young quarterback out. Otherwise, they will have wasted a great opportunity to succeed in a year that was theirs for the taking. Tom has been a PhinManiacs contributor and will be back in the mix as the season continues. Please follow him on Twitter @bearingthenews Mid-Week All-22 Coaches Breakdown with Jay Fiedler & Jason Sarney with Special Guest Dr. David Chao!11/25/2020 Jay and Jason are joined by Dr. David Chao of ProFootballDoc.com! Dr. Chao not only has a terrific podcast and website updating football fans at every corner of the game with expert injury analysis, he backs it up with his experience!
A former team doctor of the San Diego Chargers for 17 seasons, Dr. Chao is a Sports Medical Analyst who can be found on @Outkick @SiriusXM and @FoxSportsRadio as well as http://profootballdoc.com and on Twitter @ProFootballDoc! Dr. Chao talks about what he sees in Tua Tagovailoa's hip recovery and provides some outstanding insight on his development in health as well as execution. Jay also drops an anecdotal comparison to a former NFL QB who was once benched, and later won a Super Bowl and entered the Hall-of-Fame. Jay also breaks down some missed opportunities Tua had against the Broncos. The tape never lies. A very special thank you to Dr. Chao, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all! By: Jason Sarney As announced Tuesday, once again, Zach Thomas is a Pro Football Hall of Fame Semi-Finalist. We were all here a year ago, and I wrote a piece that I am admitingly recycling. I am very proud of this one, because it means the most to me in my current fandom. Zach Thomas belongs in the Hall of Fame. Here is why: The 30 Hall-of-Fame Linebackers in Canton (listed alphabetically) Chuck Bednarik, Bobby Bell, Robert Brazile, Derrick Brooks, Nick Buoniconti, Dick Butkus, Harry Carson, George Connor, Chris Doleman, Bill George, Kevin Greene, Jack Ham, Chris Hanburger, Ted Hendricks, Sam Huff, Rickey Jackson, Jack Lambert, Willie Lanier, Ray Lewis, Ray Nitschke, Les Richter, Dave Robinson, Joe Schmidt, Junior Seau, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Andre Tippett, Brian Urlacher, Dave Wilcox. What I would love to do, is a bit of a trim-down, much like the epic George Carlin breakdown of The 10 Commandments. While the late, great comedian believed there really are a fraction of Commandments needed in that realm of religion, I would argue that we should find a similar approach, in theory, on how we can breakdown why Thomas needs to be included in this elite group of men. What I am saying is, and ask yourself this, is the group of linebackers in Zach’s class really all 30 of these players? Right off the bat, let us cut the list down to pure middle linebackers, which means no movement to the outside, no stints at defensive line, and just a prototypical Ray Lewis-ian style backer. The pure-blood middle-linebackers are as follows: Chuck Bednarik (played ironman football at C, but his lone defensive position was MLB), Nick Buoniconti, Dick Butkus, Harry Carson, Bill George, Sam Huff, Jack Lambert, Willie Lanier, Ray Lewis, Ray Nitschke, Les Richter, Joe Schmidt, Junior Seau, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher. We can now start at 15 linebackers in Zach Thomas’ “class” and not the overall “show” of the position. Now let’s do what many people do, and I say this with a virtual tear, and that be to forget about the past. This is something we should never do, but for this study, let’s get rid of those old-school “leather-heads,” and non-modern era middle linebackers. It isn’t a fair comparison, so much like Tony Stark throwing out holographic images of a Mark-54 Ironman suit in the workshop, I’m tossing those guys into the senior trash-bin; respectfully of course.  We can leave out Chuck Bednarik, Bill George, Sam Huff, Ray Nitschke, Les Richter, and Joe Schmidt. We are now left with 9. Football is a game of momentum, so while we are trimming faster than the payroll of the current Dolphins, let’s get one more decade and lose the stars of the ‘60s and ‘70s because, again, it’s a different era altogether. For purposes of this homage to Thomas, and to Carlin, let’s first and foremost pay our respects to the late Miami Legend, Nick Buoniconti. Fellow inductees Dick Butkus and Willie Lanier saw success in both decades and while Harry Carson’s rookie year was 1976, his final season was 1988. And just like that, (Carlin tongue-click)…we’re down to five. Those five immortals are Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary, Ray Lewis, Junior Seau and most recently and with being deservingly so, Brian Urlacher. I can’t help but want to place Singletary and Lambert back in the old-school NFL Films division so I am tempted to slice this down to three, even though I am very loyal to thou elders and respectful to those who made this league what it is today. I am not being blasphemous, but we are now down to three. Junior Seau, may he rest in eternal peace, was the Lawrence Taylor of the middle linebacking sect of holy second-tier defenders. They very well could be the best of the bunch at their respective areas of the gridiron and belong in an Elite class all by themselves. We are left with two. Ray Lewis is as close as it gets to Seau, and there is zero argument from me on the rightful inclusion of Urlacher, but where is the third on this trio of the “Best Middle Linebackers of the Late 1990’s/Early 2000’s," other than Junior? For me, there are numerous prerequisites that go on a Hall-of-Fame checklist, but mainly this is an individual achievement, so please save the championship talks for another day or I can cut the current list in half to one with only Lewis remaining. When you look at the following stats, you will see the same common denominators in Thomas’ era, which I tally as a main point of criteria to induction. That being, dominance and comparability against one’s peers in that similar time frame.  Having said that, here is the 1996-2007 stat breakdown of the middle linebackers in Thomas’ career in Solo Tackles, assisted tackles, Combination of those two, and tackles for loss. *(This includes Thomas’ years with MIA and not including his 2008 season in Dallas) Sacks, as we know, wasn’t a calling-card responsibility of Thomas’ but if we are on the numerical tip, he has 20.5 career sacks and 17 interceptions. He forced 16 fumbles and recovered eight and scored four touchdowns with a somersault or two. Nailed ‘em.   With Urlacher starting his career a few seasons after Thomas, this is not a study to take away anything from the Bears version of #54 whatsoever, but I will add that tale-of-the-tape of those two in a moment. This study is simply to say that of these four measurables, perhaps the ultimate in linebackers’ statistical barometers, there are four of these players who appear in the top-10 in each category during this span. Ray Lewis* Junior Seau* London Fletcher And Zach Thomas *=Hall-of-Famer Thomas Versus Urlacher Stats mean a lot in Hall-of-Fame voting and debating, as do intangibles such as leadership, philanthropy, and legacy, all of which Zach Thomas has in droves. The size of his heart, grit, and determination is second to none and in vast contrast to his frame and underdog tag. The 1996 5th round draft pick, number 154th overall from Texas Tech and Bob Hope All-American, played a career that should be taught to young prospects at every step of the way.  He played the game correct, with passion and purpose and lives his life that way as well. You’ll never hear a negative word about Zach Thomas. Ever.
Now it is time for the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame to do what is necessary. Please, open your collective ears and hear the fans while listening to Mr. Mawae’s speech over and over again as it was a movie teaser-trailer. Please, open your collective eyes and see the waves of Orange and Aqua, pleading with your voters, who will undoubtedly flood Canton with commerce that glorious Summer weekend. And more importantly, please heed Hall-of-Fame center, Kevin Mawae’s words and respectfully, helmet-in-hand... ...open your Door, for 54. Thank you. Please follow Jason on Twitter at @OrangeAquaman *Originally published on www.thephinsider.com By: Jorge Hinojosa Look, the Dolphins are in the midst of a playoff hunt, at 6-4 in year 2 of the rebuild and just snapped a 5-game winning streak that saw them go 3-0 v the NFC West, arguably the best division in football in that span. But now, after a cross-country defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncs the sky seems to be crashing down on the Dolphins. If you are looking for a doom and gloom outlook and for me to tell you these are the same ole’ Dolphins, then stop reading, that’s not what you’re getting from me today. No, today I’m here to tell you why everything is okay right now, how everything this season will be fine and how the Dolphins are on the right path to be not only good, but very good next year and in the years to come. Now, I want to make it very clear I do not attempt nor do I want to take away from what is being a great season and I do believe they’ll make a hell of a push for the playoffs and might get there, but this column is focused on the future. On the 2021 off-season, 2021 season and the ensuing years that are shaping up to be great for this franchise. First of all, let’s identify the things the Dolphins have going for them:
Now, let me live out my dream-job fantasy and assume I get a call from Chris Grier informing me he is going off on a sabbatical to track the migrating patterns of the rare Böhms bee-eater (a small and lovely bird that is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa but I digress). Mr. Grier calls me and asks me to take over the Dolphins Front office during the 2021 off-season: Free agency and Draft are now my responsibility. Well what do I do? Let’s look at who might leave the team next year (i.e. players on last year of their contracts): QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Matt Breida, WR Mack Hollins, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, C Ted Karras, T Julien Davenport, DT Davon Godchaux, OLB Vince Biegel, P Matt Haack, LB Elandon Roberts, T Adam Pankey, LB Calvin Munson, CB Jamal Perry, CB Nik Needham, S Kavon Frazier, RB DeAndre Washington and RB Salvon Ahmed. Wow that’s a lot of names, see the team is going to have so many holes next year, right? No. From those let me tell you who I would absolutely sign back, who I would sign back for the right price, who I would sign back if it’s a team friendly contract and who I would let walk: Sign back no matter what:
Want back at the right price:
Who I’m letting walk:
Now that we have settled who’s coming back let’s talk about what we need and what we want: Needs: WR and RB. Wants: LB, NT, OL, backup QB and some additional depth at DE and Safety. Now, let’ see how many of those holes I can fill-in with free agency. My number one priority is giving ourselves as much flexibility come draft time as possible and not having to reach out of a desperate need to fill a hole. So without further ado here are my targets by position in free agency: WR: Cordarrelle Patterson, Juju Smith-Schuster, Allen Robinson and John Ross. I would need to sign at least one, but two would be ideal. RB: Phillip Lindsay, Malcolm Brown James White, Mike Davis. Mike Davis and Lindsay coming in as relief? What a great 1-2, something that the Dolphins have missed terribly this season. LB: Matt Milano, Lavonte David or Mark Barron. Honestly not great depth at the position which make signing one of them key for me. They fill different roles, yes, but either would help solidify an already strong unit. NT: No one really, that I’m crazy about in Free agency. OL: Evan Boehm (only if Karras is not resigned). S: Justin Simmons. Hard to get, and will probably be too expensive, but would check it out and if it doesn’t break the bank then I might consider it, it would allow Flores to use more of a 3-safety set. Now for the draft, I used a mock draft tool from a free website and this is what I got for the Dolphins. This was done with the assumption that the Dolphins had already signed from the list above, at least 1 WR, 1 RB, 1 LB. I also takes into consideration that Fitzpatrick stayed with the team, as well as Karras and Biegel. So with this draft Miami would get in the top 3 rounds: 1st (9) Jaylen Waddle, WR (17) Creed Humphrey, C 2nd (40) Alex Leatherwood, OT (53) Rakeem Boyd, RB 3rd (80) Tyler Shelvin, NT So, let’s look at what that potential 2021 starting lineup would look like, shall we: QB: Tua RB: Mike Davis, Rakeem Boyd FB: Chandler Cox WR: Juju, Devante Parker, Waddle, Albert Wilson, Grant, Preston Williams TE: Gesicki LT: Jackson/Leatherwood LG: Flowers C: Humphrey RG: Kindley RT: Hunt/Davis/Leatherwood DE: Ogbah NT: Davis DT: Wilkins Edge: Lawson Biegel/AVG LB: Baker LB: Van Noy LB: David CB: Howard, CB: Jones S: Rowe S: McCain Nickel*: Needham. Now look at that and tell me ti doesn’t seem exciting. This is just one possibility with the resources and talent this team already has! Yes losing sucks, but the sky is not falling. I have also seen several people ask for the head of Chan Gailey. Now, I’ve been critical and praising of Gaily at different times this season but here is the thing: He might not excite you with the play calling but he is a great teacher and is going to be fundamental for Tua to learn from him the fundamentals. I also don’t believe he was ever appointed as a long-term option but as a bridge OC and I for one, trust Flores to make the right call, after all look at what Boyer has done with that defense! Dolfans, the team is 6-4 a year after being 2-9. Great strides were made this year but no one expected us to be a top-10 team this year and yet they are on the brink. Let’s trust the process, let’s enjoy the grind, let’s cheer for them every week knowing that the future is bright for our franchise. Please welcome Jorge Hinojosa to the PhinManiacs team! Please follow him on Twitter @FranciscoHinoPe
By: Hussam Patel
Good Teams have bad games. We know this, and we don't expect the Dolphins to go undefeated. I admit we have been a little spoiled by this 5-game winning streak. This loss emboldened the Dolphins weaknesses, and the Broncos feasted on that. The run game was nonexistent, passing game going nowhere. The offensive line was getting bullied by Bradley Chubb and the Denver defensive line. Most glaring was definitely the play of Tua Tagovailoa, from the beginning of the game, he seemed off a little jittery, not hitting those throws he would hit in practice.
I’ve seen and heard, publicly and privately, that this team had no fight in them, had no energy, no spirit to win this game. Really? When have you seen this Brian Flores led team “Give Up?" Did this Brian Flores team give up in a 59-0 rout against New England Last year? Or against the season opener against Baltimore Last year? Did they throw the towel in losses against the Bills, Patriots and Seahawks? No, they kept fighting till the end of the clock.
Don't tell me they don’t have the guts or glory to win, because they do. The Dolphins lost this game in the trenches and were bullied within them. Not having Christian Wilkins and Solomon Kindley hurt this team. Glaringly, the O-line did not do its jkob protecting Tua as they should have; tallying 6 sacks. The Dolphins' run defense was flat-out non-existent, missing tackles left and right and getting gashed by Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay for 189 yards and 2 TDs and well over 5-yards per carry for each of them. On the bright side, Xavien Howard and Raekwon Davis were the highest graded defenders against the Broncos. Howard continues his great play, tied for first with 6 interceptions and helps this team. Davis is quietly becoming on of the best interior D-Lineman the Dolphins have picked up. Eating up blocks and doing his best in the run game. A star could be born, and Coach Flores seemed to know it back on Draft Day.
The offensive line needs to be better and do better, The wide-receivers have to separate and do better, the defensive line needs to tighten up in the run game, and Tua needs to stay calm and hit his receivers and backs for those quick-this gains. Not only do the players need to step up, the coaches do too; specifically offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. Denver seemed to have figured out the offensive tendencies, rarely did we see RPOs, crossinf routes and slants; something Tua feasts on and would have kept Denver's defense honest. The offensive play calling has to suit Tua's strengths.
To add on to this, there is a QB controversy as there might be eyebrows raised in the locker room, right? WRONG (Talking to you National Media). Ryan Fitzpatrick eloquently described the Dolphins saying, “this is Tua’s team.” The Dolphins will do whatever is necessary to ensure Tua is succeeding, learning and winning. Pulling Tua, right or wrong, everyone is entitled to their opinion, was a move made by Flores. Tua wasn't performing and he knew that, and he’ll learn from this and he’ll be highly motivated to be better. His confidence was not shaken. Flores is confident in Tua, this team is confident in Tua, and Tua is still learning and confident in himself.
Pardon my age and I know I’m pulling the strings of the Shula era, but do you all remember back in the 80’s, Shula would pull David Woodley out when he was having a bad game and Don Strock would play. Woodley would remain as starter the following game. Flores benched Tagovailoa with a 6-3 record and trailing by only a touchdown. My guess is Flores didn’t like the things Tua was missing downfield and/or he was concerned about him taking too much punishment. He is the future of this team. We wouldn't want something to happen to Tua and look what happened to Burrow. He’s also been taking a beating and tore his ACL, MCL and out for next year. The Dolphins can make the playoffs, but this is not a playoffs or bust season, this is a season to find out who and what this Dolphins team is. This is a growing and learning experience. Be honest with yourselves, this is not a Super Bowl team yet, this is a team in year two of a rebuild, and quite possibly a year ahead of schedule. They will figure it out, they made improvements in a tanking season last year and have shocked everyone's expectations so far. Reinforcements are coming in next year's draft. This team always had its eyes set on 2021. Don’t lose track of the main goal, stay levelheaded and chill out. This loss will light a fire into this team, they got this. As Always #finsup Please welcome Hussam Patel to PhinManiacs and please give him a follow on Twitter @AirXAlpha1721
In this weeks podcast, we cover a wide range of topics with Ryan O'Gara, who's a Big Ten columnist with Saturday Tradition. In this segment, we ask him about key issues going on in the Big Ten. From the future of Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska, to if Northwestern really is a Big 10 Championship and CFP contender. (1:30-37:00)
In the next segment, we're joined by Jason Sarney of Phin Maniacs. Covering Miami Dolphins football is what they specialize in, and they do a great job. Jason gives us his thoughts and predictions on how the Phins will finish the season, Is Tua their QB? Some prior steps they took to get when they are now, and more! Unfortunately, our NCAAM and NFL recap was not saved, but on Tuesday Livestream, we will cover MNF recap, MACtion picks, and give our NCAAM preview as well. Subscribe. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-belowfreezing-podcast/support By: Shawn Williams
 The Monday Morning Quarterback with Jay Fiedler and Jason Sarney - Miami Falls to Denver 13-2011/23/2020
On this edition of The Monday Morning Quarterback, Jay Fiedler breaks down the communication aspects of Tua Tagovailoa's development, as well as the physical components of his game.While it was a tough loss on the road, a lot can be learned from this game.
Jay even describes in-depth nuances of things like cadence, snap counts, and even how plays are communicated from coach to sideline to quarterback, especially in a Chan Gailey offense. Follow Jay and Jason on Twitter @JayFiedler @OrangeAquaman |
Story Archives
January 2022
|
RSS Feed