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Dolphins v Patriots: Must Win?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by padre31, Sep 30, 2010.

  1. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports...-jets-makes-mondays-patriots-game-945567.html

    With the Divisional Games front loaded, if we lose to the Pastriots we are locked into third place and make the last game of the season far more important than it should be.
     
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  2. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    completely disagree but i will use the caveat that we have to win one out of the next two. if we lose here we go into our bye week 2-2 one game back. for us thats a great start historically. we would have to come out and destroy green bay however not the easiest team in the world but one we can beat. i would prefer to jump right back on the horse however and beat the patriots badly. two weeks of these boards whining about losing two games in a row would be intolerable
     
  3. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    Been saying this since Monday morning. That Jets loss was tremendous. We need to beat the Patriots, and then we need the Jets to choke against what looks like a manageable schedule. Vikings, Broncos, Packers, Lions, Browns, Texans, Bengals… they can win most of those games. Then, down the stretch, they have the Patriots, us, Steelers, Bears, and Bills.

    Basically, they can pad their win column before playing the division again, so even if they lose to us and the Patriots in December, they still might be okay.

    We need to go on a tear. The defense needs to stiffen up and the offense needs to do better in the red zone.
     
  4. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

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    One game at a time. Each and every one is important.
     
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  5. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    plus it would be nice to make him cry

    [​IMG]
     
  6. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Exactly, basically the loss to the Jest means we took much of our own destiny out of our own hands and placed it in the Jests hands.

    I am glad they got the Texans this year.

    However, the Viking and Pack matchup really well with the Jets, especially with the Vikings getting healthy at Cb.
     
  7. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    If we want the division it is pretty much a must win. Not a must win for playoff hopes, though it would certainly help them if we win.
     
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  8. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Perhaps the playoffs as well, since we play a holographic schedule, if it comes down to a wildcard a Pats win against us head to head, would force us to be even more perfect to try and win a WC slot.

    I could easily see a scenario were we go into Foxboro on the last game and it is for a WC slot, or it is a must win.
     
  9. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    The Texans have the second-worst pass defense in the league. That game will likely be a shootout and can go to either team.

    The Vikings turn the ball over too often and the Jets have an excellent run defense. That game will come down to Favre, and relying on Brett Favre to win a game usually ends in disaster. Reference the 2007 and 2009 NFC Championship Games. Lastly, the Vikings have never really had a great pass defense, so their getting healthy at cornerback means little to me.

    The Packers should do well against the Jets if their OL holds up. Aaron Rodgers could get the Green Bay district attorney to file attempted murder charges against his OL and he’d have a case.
     
  10. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    our first half is brutal but our second half is easy. if we can go into the 9th game with a record of 5-3 we can easily get to 12 or 11 wins which means we are in the playoffs.
     
  11. Pagan

    Pagan Metal & a Mustang

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    Of course it's a must win. If we lose to the Pats and the Jets beat the Bills we're two games down on them in division record PLUS the head to head loss.

    Pretty big hole to have to start digging out of.
     
  12. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    I think it's a must-win. Going 1-2 in the division, with those two losses coming at home, would be a killer. Especially with the rough schedule we have coming up.
     
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  13. Zod

    Zod Ruler of the Universe

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    The loser of this game will be irrelevant until December.

    There is no way in hell that either team loses two division games and then arrives at December with a 9-2 record. I think the BEST case scenario for the Sunday loser would be to arrive at December with a 7-4 record. Then it's back to division play and a fight for survival.
     
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  14. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    Difference between winning the division and finishing second or third.
     
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  15. Zach13

    Zach13 Season Ticket Holder

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    Home games inside the division are ALWAYS must win.

    That is why last week was a completely unacceptable loss.
     
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  16. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    I agree with you, but it is ironic that we won all three home divisional games last year and still finished at 7-9.

    Still though, every game matters.
     
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  17. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Not sure about that adamp, I think every team we play is either performing to expectations, for example Cinci is 2-1, the Bears are 3-0, the browns and lions are 0-3, so far no team on our schedule has surprisingly collapsed as of yet.

    Not even the Raiders.

    My gut is telling me the Jets and Pats are going to run into a buzz saw in the Vikings with a healthy D and Favre on the same page as the Wr corps.

    That could be a crucial tie breaker.
     
  18. vt_dolfan

    vt_dolfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    I would absolutely say it is a must win. If we lost in NY...and we lost Monday night IN Mass.....wouldnt be quite as critical.....but losing to your division rivals....at home....that puts a ton of pressure for you to just even the deck by going to there field. And the Jan 2 game is in NE. Anyone want to guess how f'n cold thats gonna be?

    Yeh....its a MUST WIN.
     
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  19. Paul 13

    Paul 13 Chaotic Neutral & Unstable Genius Staff Member

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    even though we are a better on the road than at home.
     
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  20. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    Mon Oct 4 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 8:30 PM
    Sun Oct 10 ** BYE WEEK **
    Sun Oct 17 at Green Bay Packers 1:00 PM
    Sun Oct 24 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00 PM
    Sun Oct 31 at Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 PM
    Sun Nov 7 at Baltimore Ravens 1:00 PM
    Sun Nov 14 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
    Thu Nov 18 CHICAGO BEARS 8:20 PM NFLN
    Sun Nov 28 at Oakland Raiders 4:05 PM
    Sun Dec 5 CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00 PM

    Sun Dec 12 at New York Jets 4:15 PM
    Sun Dec 19 BUFFALO BILLS 1:00 PM
    Sun Dec 26 DETROIT LIONS 1:00 PM

    Sun Jan 2 at New England Patriots

    we have 4 easy games in raiders, browns, bills and lions. a legit playoff team is 4-0 against those teams

    we have winnable games against bengals, ravens, bears, patriots x2, jets, titans. a playoff team would go at least 4-3 here

    we have 2 brutal games against packers and steelers. i'll be happy for a split 1-1

    thats an 11-5 season and that gets us into the playoffs 90% of the time. Add one more victory and we are in 100% of the time. take away one victory and we are in 50% of the time
     
  21. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    Absolutely this is in important game. But a MUST win in Week 4, for a team that's 2-1? No such thing.
     
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  22. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Way to early to write off the Raiders Adamp, and the Bears are 3-0, including a win over Green Bay.
     
  23. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    This is the first yr the NFL has front and back loaded the schedule with divisional games GM, that changes things.
     
  24. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    if we cant beat the raiders then we arent making the playoffs regardless. playoff teams dont lose to that caliber of team and the bears are not the toughest opponent we have. they got off to a fast start and cutler will improve as the season progresses but we can handle them
     
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  25. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    Must win implies that if we're 2-2 after 4 games, we're done. That's not even close to true IMO.

    My seldom reliable crystal ball tells me that the division will come down to the Jets and us. NE will wilt in November-December due to schedule, lack of defense, and lack of running game. If anything, we have to avoid getting swept by the Jets, that would freeze us out of any tiebreaker. And with the number of good teams in the AFC, 9 or even 10 wins doesn't guarantee anyone a playoff birth. In 2008 the Pats were 11-5 and still didn't get in. Winning the division is the only sure way, but I don't see the Pats as a problem, neither down the stretch, nor this week.
     
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  26. FinFan316

    FinFan316 Banned

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  27. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    The problem is, if we lose, then it boils down to head to head matchups against common opponents along with intra conference record, and losses to the Jest and Pasts put us behind the 8 ball in both scenarios.

    So strategically speaking, we are far better off winning this game, if one recalls that split with the Pasts in 08 is what allowed us to win the AFCE.
     
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  28. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    It is a west coast game and the Raiders could very well have a winning record when we play them.

    Recall the troubles West Coast teams who traveled East had in 09? There is no reason why that couldn't work the other way in 2010.
     
  29. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    Good point, but you're wrong. 2009, The Bengals swept the Ravens and Steelers, won the division, but lost to the Raiders. Good teams lose "trap" games all the time, especially on the road.
     
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  30. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Of course. We'll likely lose a game to a team we are better than. Chances are the Jets and Pats will as well.
     
  31. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    I agree with you, losing this game means we'll probably have to go on the road and beat them later in the year. But that doesnt make it a must win. The only teams who "must" win in Week 4 are the ones who are 0-3. Split my @ss, what allowed us to win the division was Bernard Pollard destroying Tom Brady's knee :lol:.
     
  32. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    obviosuly you can lose to any team on any sunday. we could lose to the lions also. but if you're looking at the schedule you have to circle these as wins. if we beat the steelers we can lose to the browns but looking at our schedule i dont think we're going to be sitting atop the afc east with room to spare. oakland will be a must win when we play them and p[layoff teams win those types of games against inferior opponents when they have to.
     
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  33. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    at that point in the saeason every game will be a must win if we're going to control our destiny and not backdoor our way into the playoffs the way the jets did. you're correct that no single game is a must win until it becomes mathematically so but this really is one we should win
     
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  34. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    I don't circle any game as a win or a a loss with this team. We seem to play to the level of the competition. Our offense plays better at home, our defense plays better on the road, the entire team plays better as underdogs than as favorites. I could see us beating the Ravens but losing to the Raiders, or beating the Packers and losing to the Lions. I'd be fine either way. The only game I have circled as a semi-must win is the Jets game. Can't afford to get swept, it'll kill us in the tie break.
     
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  35. Ohio Fanatic

    Ohio Fanatic Twuaddle or bust Club Member

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    Absolute must win if we want to compete for the division title.
     
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  36. GMJohnson

    GMJohnson New Member

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    I agree. We should handle them fairly easily, and I think we will. Their secondary is an abomination, Marshall should have even more space than he did last week. Their front 7 is weak, Wilfork has big contract disease. Their pass rush is non-existent. So is their run game. It's our game to lose.
     
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  37. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    yeah i agree overall but like i said we should win. whether we do is always open. I also agree that we have beat the jets to even up the series and its also why i'm not too concerned this week one way or the other. i would rather beat the pats and make them have to beat us the second time around rather than the reverse but divisional games dont produce must wins until the rematches
     
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  38. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    yup. other than asamougha that team isnt firing on all cylinders. if we lose that one it will be an upset.
     
  39. steveincolorado

    steveincolorado Spook, Storme & Pebbles

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    Heading into the bye week at 3-1, (2-1) division is a heck of a lot better than 2-2, (1-2) division, with both division loses at home.

    :wink2:

    Must win??
     
  40. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    god i can already see how this place will have a meltdown if we lose. :lol:
     

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