I agree with you. Henning called another SMART game. We didn't go with the Madden gameplan that everyone around here seems to want us to run, but like I said after the win last week, anyone on this site who thinks they can call a better game plan and knows more about offensive football than Dan Henning, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send your resume to the Dolphins. If you're that good, you should be calling plays, not posting on a message board. Just saying.
Except both the Ravens and Giants are trying hard to become passing teams. Its not even necessarily about being a "passing team" versus a "running team" - even the passing teams run, and the running teams pass, a somewhat balanced attack is always best. Its the way we are using the passing and running games that is worrisome. I don't want to force a 50 yard bomb to Mashall 10 times a game just to pretend we are the Saints, but Henning just doesn't seem to react or change well, doesn't respond to game situations, doesn't adapt, doesn't understand the flow of the game at any one time and doesn't seem to have any clue to how the game is progressing.
Although I can understand why Henning was conservative with the play calling, (on the road against a great team with a young QB) I do believe the Vikings was their weak link. I am not crying out for a Saints/Colts type of offense or anything, but I think we could of pushed the ball down the field more than we did. Why start off the game with a p/a deep ball to Marshall (which obviously worked) and then never attempt it down field after that? (At least I can't remember when we tried to throw it deep again). All that said, we won the game, and honestly I don't care how we win as long as we can continue to do it successfully and often. It will be interesting to see how we plan to attack the Jets defense next Sunday night. I wouldn't be surprised if we attacked the Jets similarly to how we attacked the Vikings today. As long as we get the win, I don't care. Edit: I also agree that not moving the chains on offense is really going to wear out our defense. I think ToP was like 35+ minutes for Vikes 24 for Phins. This was only the second game, but I am willing to bet if this becomes a routine, our defense will definitely burn out late into the season.
The NFL is a QB/Passing league. If you do not have a passing game, you're not going anywhere. We don't need Henne to be Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Drew Brees. But We need him to be more than 9-15 for 114 yards. We're playing Wanny ball. Which is interesting because everyone hates him for his offensive game plan of "keep it close and we'll have a chance to win" but praise Henning for the same bull****. Look at the Jets game last year. Dominated the run game but Henne also was 20/26 for 260 and 2 TD. That's the kind of offense we need to be. Consistent, mistake free, and threatening. As of right now, we threaten nobody. I know Minny has a good D, and Buffalo has a pretty secondary, but 20 offensive points is weak. If the offense continues as is, we're not contenders for anything.
What do you mean at times....... Playing conservative, playing good defense, winning important games on the road. They were all my ideas Honestly we found out today that a defense CAN dominate a football game in the NFL. I didn't see much wrong with Henning's calls considering the situation. I expect status quo in the following weeks.
He is awful and its only a matter of time before his **** ups actually catch up to us. Its a good thing the defense is bailing out the offense.
I think the thing with Hennig that drives me crazy is out of the clear blue we'll run a play (and usually it is at a critical juncture), and I'll just be like WTF?! And, I wish I could give you an example. But, it's late, I'm tired, and a little inebriated. So, instead I will just say this...I think our clock management (and specifically our play calling), late in either the first or second half is still in question IMHO. Like, when we need to run time off the clock, and instead we call a pass play, etc. It's a carry over from last season. The difference is last season it came back to bite us in the arse every time. This year, so far, well...like you said, we're 2-0. So, I guess everything is all puppy dog kisses in Dolphin Nation, eh? Yeah, 'cause the combined record of the two teams we've played so far is 0-4.
not really. the ravens, steelers, giants all base their offenses off the run first philosophy. you are correct that every offense's goal is too become somewhat balanced but they generally will always be one or the other. Its the threat of the run that sets up their passing whereas the Colts, Texans, Saints run their offenses off the pass to set up the run. Even if they do more passing then throwing in a given game, the steelers, giants, dolphins, etc are basing it off the run. I also think Henne isnt the type of QB you want every game throwing for 40 pass attempts. A game here or there sure but not as a philosphy as for henning, i think he generally does get it. He creates excellent game plans and when defenses adjust it may take him a series or two but he will find what works more often than not and adjust to their adjustment
So is that why we're 2-0. We change our gameplan every week. We might not throw that much against the Jets, but maybe we will if we're down, but you can bet that we will throw it a lot against the Patriots
I'm sorry, and no disrespect meant, but how is throwing the ball downfield to Brandon Marshall "new ****", especially when he did it on the first play from scrimmage, AND IT WORKED?...lol
its week 2 and henne still doesnt look comfortable. better to be conservative and win then force the issue and lose. eventually we'll open it up a bit when we need to. hopefully by then henne will be a bit more comfortable
A lot of times Henning has the right idea but the execution lets him down. I do know one thing. They were running the ball down their throats and then once they get on the opponents side of the 50, he starts the Wildcat. It did work at first but why not wait until your inside the 20 is my question.
im all for running and controlling the clock up 14-0 but when its 14-10 and you are one TD from favre to shianco away from losing......maybe we should open the ****ing playbook past page #1 ???
Not being sarcastic here Adam, but don't you think Henne will need to let loose just a little (not 40+ attempts or anything) but just push the ball down the field just a little more to really start settling in? I mean first play of the game, Henne let it rip and it worked. I just don't see why you don't go back to that at least a couple more time to keep that defense honest? (Again, I have to watch the tape again, but I don't recall many attempt if ANY after that initial play) Correct me if I am wrong.
one thing i liked is on a second down he went to a wildcat and it got stuffed and he immediately got out of it. i think we missed the thrid down play and everybody ripped him for going wildcaat for that one play (and i wasnt crazy about the call either at hat stage) but i gave him credit for quickly getting out of it and i may be wrong but that may have been the last one called. i respect the guy. he will test things out and make you stop them but if you do he'll respect that and try to attack you different ways
40 a game? No, that's ridiculous. 15 a game with maybe 2 going over the 10 yard marker? Equally ridiculous.
week 3. we need to be able to pass against the jets to win unless we trade for ted ginn. we didnt against the bills or vikes
What's funny about that statement? Didn't we trade for Marshall? Besides, Only two true run and play defense style teams have won the super bowl in the last decade (Ravens and Steelers 1st SB in this decade). Defense is huge. Gotta have a good one. However that doesn't make up for a lack of a passing game. Until being conservative bites us in the ***. What the defense did today was nothing short of amazing. However, it's foolish to think these guys can do that for 14 straight games. I also hope Henne and Henning can work it out, but in the here and now, it's a major concern going forward until the offense shows what it can do with the training wheels off.
my only comment about the playcalling is this. The wildcat was working in the beginning because we were attacking the edges with it. Then we stopped going outside with it and started trying to go up the middle. Thats when it stopped working. We should have continued to to attack the edges and stay away from the Williams Wall.
Giants also. We are what we are. We're a Ford pickup, not a Lamborghini. We just gotta get the Lamborghini's into the mud btw i wasnt directing that laugh or comment at you but ratther at the majority of the board. I'm one of the few who still thinks you can win ugly. i want to be able to pass when needed but i prefer to run and dominate on defense
Same series I was refering to. He did get right out of it and yeah, that was good to see but I think it might have been better to go wildcat once they're in FG range. The way they were running they had them on their heals and even though the wildcat is like a run, it's the mindset of change to me.
I think I noticed him in the stands with some hot Cuban girl in a Minnesota Vikings jersey. Perhaps he was asking if she knew Greg Camarillo...lmao
yeah its a weird thing to see. last year when we went to it against the first jets game late in the game i thought that was insane but it worked. he will make you stop it. if you do he'll back out of it. the thing is he has success running it so its tough to fault him for it. btw i do, like you, prefer to run it once we get closer to the end zone too
I dislike Henning as much as anyone, but today the offensive struggles had nothing (or very little) to do with Henning. It had to do with playing a very good defense on the road, poor field position and inexcusable fumbles by both our RB's. If those 2 fumbles don't happen the Dolphins win that game by double digits.
Agreed I can understand playing converative once you get that lead but aside from the 2 deep balls thrown that is what they did from the GET GO. Hell they didn't even play it right when you have Ronnie Brown averaging 6.6 YPC YOU GIVE HIM THE DAMN BALL. When we took the field after half time we were running down their throats in OUR BASE offense. What do we do on 2nd down? HERP DERP WILD CAT TIME. That killed that drive and we were doing SOOOOOOOO WELL. I'm glad it didn't cost us but throwing it on 3rd down instead of making Minnesota using their last timeout it DROVE ME NUTS. We did that same **** last year and I remember clearly the Saint game we would've went into Halftime with a 14 point lead (or was it 17?) instead we get cute instead of actually going into half time we give the Saints the ball and they drive down the field on us and score a tD to end half. Henning makes so many bad calls its amazing were at 2-0 instead of 0-2. Thank you defense for being ****ing AMAZING.
People said the same thing going into this game. The Vikings secondary was banged up and we needed to attack them through the air. It started great. Henne perfectly thrown deep pass to Marshall, then the TD pass to Hartline. After that, it seems we got real conservative. People say Henne looks a little uncomfortable but I don't see it. He's going through his progressions nicely and you can tell he wants to throw downfield but it's just not there. He's playing smart, and for a young QB with a cannon arm that's a great thing to see. However, there needs to be more out of the offense, and it starts with Dan Henning. He needs to be less predictable and keep the offense in a good rhythm when they get going. After that first possession I thought we were going to score a lot of points but Henning just got conservative. But more importantly? We won again, on the road again, against a really good team. I'm loving this team!
To be fair though, I am noticing that Henne stares down the receiver he is going to throw to a LOT. Example: on the Hartline TD, he didn't even LOOK towards Marshall's side. I think he'll improve on that as time goes on, just something I noticed.
That I don't mind. A first down wins the game and Henne was on target pretty much all day. The intended receiver was actually wide open but the ball got knocked down at the line. I like those calls though. Go for the win.
Why go for the win? You have been playing conservative ALL game long. Considering where we were at just run the clock down. We didn't have great field position to do a gutsy play call like that. Like I said though luckily it didn't cost us.
The Saints scored 14 points against them. We scored 14 points and matched the Saints offense. I'm more than happy
It was 3rd and 3 and the receiver ran a 5 yard hook. If it was covered Henne would have just eaten the ball, but he was open, unfortunately the ball was knocked down at the line. Was a pretty conservative pass play but I don't mind trying to pass for the first down there, especially when the Vikes were expecting a run, and like I said, it was open.
