I think at the end of the day, you've got to regard this season as a qualified success. 7-9 and 8-8 with one of the youngest rosters in the league, a rookie quarterback, and multiple games you easily could have pulled out is not a bad outcome. Ryan Tannehill didn't have a very good game. He was a bit handcuffed, but he also had accuracy issues at times and left plays on the field. I do really like him running the ball, though. It shouldn't be a pillar of the offense, but it should be something there on a week by week basis. He's good enough that it's something defenses have to be concerned about. It's somewhat of a risk, but the guy doesn't expose himself to shots. He just weaves through traffic with minimal exposure to contact. I think Mike Sherman and Co. deserve a lot of credit for changing stuff every week to get a run game going. It's been Tannehill, it's been expanding and shifting blocking styles, it's involved multiple backs. Think Mike Sherman also deserves credit for putting together the red zone offense he has in lieu of quality short-yardage play and red-zone receiving targets. Reggie Bush got credit for three touchdowns, but Lamar Miller demonstrated what an elusive, shifty back with vision does today. If Lamar Miller pulls his head out of his *** he's a much better ball-carrier for this team than Bush. I feel like Armon Binns and Reshard Matthews clearly aren't viable starters at this point, but I think you're looking at your #4 and #5 guys for next year. The offensive line played a pretty damn good game, given the circumstances. Mario Williams I've always thought was chronically overrated, but it's the defensive tackles I think are the biggest concern with Buffalo, and the team was both effective running the ball and in pass protection. There are little problems defensively, but you can't really nitpick with 10 points. Not a great run defense game by any means, and I'm not sure I've got a culprit on this one. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention this one. Olivier Vernon appears to be more and more linebacker-y every week. People are almost assuredly going that to slight him, but he's doing a lot of Jason Taylor's old role in Saban's defense. He's not a stand-up edge rusher, he's playing over guard, legitimately drops back into coverage, etc. Kevin Burnett is a really good player though. He doesn't seem to ever have "dominant" games so much as really good ones where he makes a visible error but otherwise kicks ***, but he's a good pick-up. Kevin Coyle deserves some sort of award for some of the games his defensive backs have had given their situations. Their top corners for most of this game were a guy they signed in November, a guy they signed this week, and a guy they converted from safety at the end of pre-season. Reshad Jones is really ****ing good at everything. Two fumble recoveries and a clutch interception? Did Nate Kaeding punt the ball twice?
I agree, though I think you do offer Bush a contract along the lines of what he would deserve in the more limited role in which I think he would be useful, i.e., the role he had in New Orleans. And not Marlon Moore.
I'm starting to wonder what you would qualify as a good game for Ryan Tannehill. 94 QBR with our best WR on the bench, our 2nd best WR hurt, our second best TE out and a bunch of scrubs out there. A pinpoint throw to the back of the end zone that only Reggie could catch. This seems to be a recent pattern in your analysis of Tannehill, despite his improved QBR lately. Would would qualify as a good outing for the rookie that was supposed to be on the bench this year?
Vernon saved a TD on the long Spiller run. He didn't tackle him but he slowed up enough so Smith could do so. I think Matthews can be a viable starting WR for us by the end of next season.
Tannehill's QB rating is now 76.9 on the year, which is higher than I would've pegged it to be before the season or even earlier during the season. I expected around 70 even.
...and in the 5th round, though I doubt the Jeff Ireland haters are keeping tabs on that one to anywhere near the degree they're keeping tabs on his supposed mistakes.
Yep Fire Ireland now, dammit I'm turning in my season tickets!! 4 losses, 1 to Buffalo(5), NYJ(3), Arizona(3), Indy(3) and we are 11-4 right now
I like Vernon but I am not sure he is playing the right position for him. Would love to see what he could do at OLB. Not really sure about Matthews yet... AND How ya been Marvin?
I think you can argue that we should have won against the Jets and Zona. Indy beat us up in the 2nd half and we couldn't stop Luck. The Bills embarrassed us and our offense was anemic. Then again, one could argue that we were outplayed by the Rams and still won.. So I would say we should be 8-7, not 11-5.
Our record is indicative of where we should be.. Which is a lot higher than the pundits predicted. I'm most impressed by Tannehill hitting the rookie wall and climbing out of it... Especially on the road against San Fran, and now against two sub-par opponents.
As the saying goes............you are what your record says you are. There are always going to be close games in the NFL...especially if your an in the middle team.
When was the last time a Dolphins defender snatched 3 turnovers in a game like Reshad Jones did today? This guy is ****ing good. That interception at the end of the game was out of this world. He's been my favorite player for a few weeks now. As far as Marlon Moore, I really don't understand all the hate. I mean, get a grip guys. He is here because he is a special teams ace. He's normally a 4th receiver at best. Seeing so many people wanting to get rid of him is a little absurd to me.
That was probably "the" play of the game. I couldn't believe Vernon chased down Spiller. It really seemed like he didn't have much of an angle either. All the camera angles I saw didn't really have in him frame until the end.
He's just not worth the roster spot anymore...the man can't catch consistently enough to justify a spot...has always had very suspect hands.
For now Moore is ok but as special teams becomes less important, which it will if they get rid of kickoffs which been talked about for weeks now then Moore becomes expendable because as a wr hes terrible. Hes that guy from The Replacements who needed crazy glue on his hands to catch anything. If hes on the team next year and seeing the field in passing situations then we will all still be here gripping about our wr's again.
well played to alot of players , thought the whole o line did a job on a very talented front 4 of the bills , we not missing jake long as much as people had thought nice to see reggie and miller being used correctly and about the right amount of touches always liked matthews since preseason ,would of played him instead of nannee in the early weeks there is something there in binns to work on as well , kevin burnett continues to play well ,been our best all round linebacker this year i have to eat my words on patterson starting after only 3-4 days on team , did well , next week be a bigger test tho jones is our only playmaker we have in the secondary , and just been very solid ! its looking far more positive than the mid season slump we had we got something to work with next off season
yep his lights out , very close to pro bowl status as special teams player imo jimmy wilson isnt far away aswell imo tho it gets to a point when the likes of matthews and binns keep making plays /catches that moore`s roster spot has to be in danger
They've gotten rid of kickoffs most of the time already, what with all the touchbacks. Even so, there are still punts to cover, and Moore excels as a gunner on punt coverage. He never has or never will see the field on offense unless there are injuries. So, whatever they do with kickoffs does not make Moore expendable to me.
i saw on twitter today that jones \and his agent had already started talks of a new contract extension and expects it done this off season how true that is i dont know !!!! but we need to lock this guy up long term asap!!
Vernon had no angle of pursuit, got close enough to Spiller to dive and get a piece of an ankle, causing him to slow up just enough for Smith to catch him.
little OT did anyone saw the hawks 49ers game last night, during a play they had suzy kolber on the sideline in front of a mic that you could hear her, she then stepped 3 steps back to talk and you could barely here her, that seahawks stadium is such a weapon
Well to me the most encouraging thing from yesterday is Tannehill's improvement. He looked pathetic in the first Bills game, the second one he looked like Aaron Rodgers jr imo.