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What about Dom?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Dolphins77, Dec 13, 2007.

  1. Dolphins77

    Dolphins77 New Member

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    The once dominant Dolphins defense:
    32nd in rushing yardage against us.
    31st in points against us.

    Who's fault is that? Cam's or Dom's?

    Most of you feel that Cam is to blame for the situation we're in right now, I get it. But what about Dom Capers? Do you think Dom deserves more or less of the blame? We have no problem scoring points with our starters, shoot, even with Cleo we can put points up. We get into trouble when our defense is on the field. We simply cannot stop opposing teams. Jason Taylor is pissed off? Dom is to blame, if you can't motivate your defense to come out and play every Sunday, you're doing something wrong. If you're last in the league in rush defense, you're doing something wrong. We need a new defensive coordinator who will turn this defense around, because Dom is not getting the job done.
     
  2. namor

    namor New Member

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    Oh believe me ,there is alot of blame to go around.
    Dom would be one of the first to hit the road.
     
  3. NJFINSFAN1

    NJFINSFAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    I blame Capers more than Cam.
     
  4. WaywardZest

    WaywardZest New Member

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    Its so strange to see the defense play that way. Injuries play a part, for sure. Saban had a lot more to do with the defense than we thought.
     
  5. sgtphin

    sgtphin Season Ticket Holder

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    Anytime a coordinator takes a highly efficient squad and turns them into an open door for the opposition to abuse as they see fit HAS to be fired, unceremoniously and expeditiously! There are three Saban hold-overs on this team that need replacing in the worst way, Capers, Mularkey and Armstrong! New personnel that have a clue and can be relied upon would greatly enhance our team and would actually be able to "assist" the HC as they are supposed to! Dom's lost his edge, Mularkey is just lost in his own dimension and Armstrong should be sent to a D II college to learn how to run a Special Teams program! The HC should oversee the entire team, not do everyone's job! Remember, Cam inheritted these jokers, he never selected them to be part of HIS staff!
     
  6. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Seriously, fire Dom Capers? That's a really, geniunely and deeply awful idea.

    He had absolutely nothing to work with this year. The defense in '05 and '06 was built on the back of aging veterans that fell apart, were no longer on the team, or are injured.

    You fire Capers, and he'll be on the market a week and probabaly still have the same size contract he has right now. He's one of the best defensive coordinators in the league.

    Seriously, what's the reasoning here? I have a strong feeling that you people are some of the same who wanted Hudson Houck fired last year.
     
  7. Vendigo

    Vendigo German Gigolo Club Member

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    I can't speak for the others (and I certainly wouldn't fire Capers because of this year's defense stats, altough he made some rather questionable decisions throughout the season), but there's the legitimate argument that the Dolphins would fare much better if they switched back to a 4-3 defense and hired someone whose expertise lies in that scheme.

    Let's fast forward to next April. You'll face the very real possibilities of Zach and Traylor retiring and JT being traded. That leaves the team with exactly one player suited for a 3-4 defense - and that's 31 year old Joey Porter who is already on a rapid decline. There's no NT, there's no OLB (the playmaking positions in a 3-4) and there's just one ILB who might just be better suited playing MLB in a 4-3. To make a long story short: If you keep Capers, you'll keep a system for which you don't have the players. Then draft them, you might point out, and rightfully so. However, this team has so many holes on both sides of the ball that it can hardly afford the luxury to run a specific scheme just because it happens to have a specific coordinator employed. It might just be easier - and more productive - to lose one coach than to acquire five new players in addition to the ones you're going to need anyway.
     
  8. larfo2224

    larfo2224 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    With the rash of injuries we have had this year, I would keep Capers and try to draft him some talent to work with.
     
  9. Idahophin

    Idahophin Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I didn't want Dom in the first place. I thought that Saban was the reason for the play of our defense last year.
     
  10. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    We dont have ANY players to run ANY scheme succcesfully at this point. The problem isnt misutilization of talent, it's a lack of talent. There's no one worthwhile on the roster that would be really better off playing in a 3-4.

    It's also worth mentioning that one of Capers best performances as defensive coordinator came in Jacksonville, where he ran a 4-3 defense.
     
  11. pocoloco

    pocoloco I'm your huckleberry Club Member

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    Dom is supposed to be able to run either a 3-4 or 4-3 successfully. He had JT and Porter playing in weird positions all year, kept Jason Allen shelved even though he was very promising. Dom is likely gone
     
  12. Vendigo

    Vendigo German Gigolo Club Member

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    I agree that we lack the overall talent to get a top defense of the field right now (and probably will be lacking it for another two years to come) but players like Roth, Holliday, Crowder or Wright aren't complete failures either. It's just that all of them would probably be better suited for a 4-3. In my experience, one of the most important qualities of a coach is to adapt to his players strengths and weaknesses and I don't think that Capers did a very good job in that regard. Again, I don't call for his head but I would not be surprised if he was replaced either. The argument that it made sense to go back to a 4-3 (which is generally considered the less demanding scheme in terms of playmakers) is a sound one.


    True. It's also worth mentioning that Capers least impressive perfomance came in Houston where he unsuccessfully tried to install "his" defense for four years. Don't get me wrong, I respect your position that Capers should be retained but I think there are valid arguments for the other positon as well.
     
  13. #1DoLfAnOKesh

    #1DoLfAnOKesh New Member

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    the defense has been horrific...he needs to go with cam...a complete overhaul needed
     
  14. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Holliday and Wright are pretty much prototypical 3-4 Ends. And their roles and positioning probabaly wouldnt change that much in a 4-3. They'd either end up being closed ends, playing directly over tackle, or playing a 3-technique. Right now, both players will line up in both those positions extensively.

    The only thing that Wright and Holliday dont do in this defense that they might potentially do in a 4-3 is line up outside of the Tackle and speed rush. Vonnie Holliday was asked to play that role in Kansas City, and basically washed out doing it so badly we were able to get him cheaply in '05.

    There's really no argument for Crowder getting better in another defense. What's he going to have the aid of? He's had the 2-gap bubble infront of him all year, he's not in a position where he'd have to fight off blockers or where another scheme would protect him more.

    Matt Roth you've maybe got an argument about, but it's hard to say. He's apparently been injured all year, but last year he looked pretty damn good playing from positioning and roles that would generally not be asked from him if he were the 265 pound player he was when we drafted him.

    There is a difference, though. A head coach, especially a bad one like Capers arguably was cannot have as direct an impact on his area of expertise. Go look at Brian Billick, an offensive coach for example.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2007
  15. grushcow

    grushcow New Member

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    i blame capers for our horrid defense and cam for our laughable playcalling
     
  16. NaboCane

    NaboCane Banned

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    capers has to go.

    from the moment that he decided to go from a system that had us near the top of the league in defense, to one that has us at the bottom, he is the one that is responsible for this mess on the defensive side of the ball.
     
  17. PhinFantic

    PhinFantic New Member

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    That goes with the accountability thread. We are all accountable at work if things go wrongs as are the bosses. This is no different, it's Capers who's resposible for the defense, he's the highest paid coordinator in the league, right? Therefore, show him the door...:(
     
  18. Desides

    Desides Well-Known Member

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    Finally, something we agree on.
     
  19. fastball83

    fastball83 Active Member

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    agree idahophin, saban was a defensive master, we must understand that !
     
  20. Califin

    Califin Well-Known Member

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    Should we fire a DC the caliber of Dom's credentials, for altering the previous system, to one he felt would be superior, but collapsed in the transition?

    I would prefer allowing him the opportunity to explain his actions, and admit regret, if it so applied, over letting him go to another team, and hiring another DC, possessing less talent and less potential.
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2007
  21. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    He didnt change the system at all. He's running the exact same thing he ran the year before...
     
  22. Vendigo

    Vendigo German Gigolo Club Member

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    I concede Wright (although I think that one of his most defining strengths - his speed - was pretty much wasted as a 3-4 end) but Holliday doesn't have the prototypical frame or bulk for a 3-4 end. I agree that he isn't your typical speed rusher either, but he plays a sound DT in the 4-3.



    There is. To me it seems that Crowder is playing most comfortable when he can concentrate on playing the run. He is neither a particularly good blitzer, nor does he excel in coverage. I see a lot more Zach Thomas in him than I see Ray Lewis. Granted, Thomas adapted quite well to the 3-4 but still, he was at his most effective when we played the 4-3.

    ILB isn't the most important position in a 3-4 when it comes to pass rushing but it's hard to play an effective 3-4 if your ILBs have virtually no pass rushing skills at all. Crowder's 8 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks and zero INTs do not signify the playmaking ability required by a 3-4 LB.


    I'm not sure in how far we should use last year's performance to evaluate players like Roth. In many regards, it was an unusual year. Taylor, Traylor and Holliday had stellar seasons and basically made everyone on that front seven look like a Pro Bowler. I don't think Roth's main issue is weight - he's continuing to have problems with his mechanics and often fails to get proper leverage. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if he's ever going to be more than a situational pass rusher in the defense rotation.



    True. I would argue, however, that his tenure in Houston still doesn't suggest that he's a very good evaluator of talent and has problems building a defense from the scratch with young players - which is exactly what Miami needs to do in the next couple of years. When Huizenga made him the highest paid C in the business, the reasoning was that Capers was supposed to take more responsibility than your usual DC takes and basically allow Cam to concentrate solely on the offense. That didn't seem to work out too dandy.
     
  23. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Iunno what speed you are suggesting is wasted with Wright. He ran what a 4.90 40? Not bad for a DT but nothing to write home about from the edge. I dont know how Holliday is too small when he had his best career years outside of playing with Reggie White here in this system. I think you are also overlooking Crowders real problems which hurt him regardless of the defense- His mental game sucks and he doesnt finish his tackles. You dont need pass rushers at ILB in this system either. This team had a great pass rush the last two years with those same players. Capers was not making personnel deciscions, Charlie Casserly was. He no longer has a job in the league afaik
     
  24. Mr772

    Mr772 New Member

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    Capers needs the ax in the worst kind of way. I don't even see the point of keeping him around for the next few games. Our d couldn't be much worse. Maybe we just send out 11 guys the next few games and tell them to form a big circle and start dancing when the other qb takes the snap.
     
  25. Disgustipate

    Disgustipate Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Also, to get back to this-

    What "weird" positions are JT and Porter in that are bad? I thought the problem was that he wasnt using them enough in weird positions.

    The Jason Allen thing had nothing to do with Capers, either. Rumor has it, Jason Allen was about to be cut before Cam Cameron sat him down and had a talk with him, and he didnt start playing well until after that.
     

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