There is a lot of emotion going around the boards with an 0-3 Dolphins team. Here are just a couple of bullet points, which I believe to be truths. You of course, may not believe them. 1) The offense is still the issue. Throughout the forum many are crucifying the defense. I don’t want to defend them because they have not played up to their potential (the Vontae injury really hurts.) They are not forcing any turnovers, and are struggling to get off the field, as well as looking completely out of shape. With that said in the last two games the D has held opponents to 23 and 17 points respectively. Our offense just flat out needs to score more points than that. The offense is looking more respectable, moving the football this year, but that all comes to a stop within the 20 yard line. The goal-line does not have a forcefield around it The best way to lose football game is kicking 19 yard field goals. 2) Steven Ross is not the issue. Ross really seems to be the scapegoat here, and I just really don’t get it. Ross did make a bit of a debacle with the offseason this year, but I do give him credit for trying for the big fish. At least in my opinion the Dolphins never had a shot at Harbaugh and we were essentially played like a fiddle. Ross is trying to make money from an apathetic fan base by introducing gimmicks into the stadium experience. It’s not going to work that way, but Marc Anthony is not the reason we can’t put the ball in the endzone. 3)If/When Tony goes, Henne likely goes with him. I am assuming Tony is gone after this year, if not by the bye week, The overall theme in the NFL is that new regimes mean new QB’s. A new regime always looks to bring in “their guy” at the most important position on the field. Occasionally an incumbent will stick around for a year, which usually happens when that QB is under contract (ie. Orton in Denver.) Alex Smith was retained but the Niners also drafted Capernick in the 2nd and I just have a feeling Harbaugh is really looking at acquiring Luck by any means necessary. Henne has the possibility of sticking around if he accepts a rather small contract (2 years maybe 8 million,) however will likely just be on borrowed time. As young as he is he will be at best a stop gap to the next QB. 4)Trading players gets us no where. You don’t trade players when the current regime is basically bailing water. They just need to keep bailing. The recovery mission is started by the next regime. With that here are players that cannot be traded: Jake Long: STOP Pouncey: STOP again Vontae & Smith: STOP X 3 Brandon Marshall: Has not lived up to his contract, but is still the best playmaker on the offense. I’ve never seen so much complaining about a Top 10-15 WR. Bess & Wake: Would need a hell of an offer. Everyone else is basically available if the price is right, especially if the base defense changes. 5) We aren’t as bad as we all think we are (ie. We will not get Andrew Luck.) It’s just that simple. This team has talent and we aren’t in as dire straits as it seems. For one reason or another we can’t put that talent together. This isn’t a bad team, it just looks like a team that doesn’t believe in what they are told to do. We are just infuriatingly mediocre…..which may be worse.
Ross undercut a coaches authority when he already was close to losing the team. He should have fired Sparano regardless once he did the Harbaugh thing, that's basically the point of no return. His marketing and PR is an embarassment as well. I don't think Henne is inherently gone with Sparano, either. If he continues to play like he has played this early in the season, a new coaching staff will be tempted to try and work with him.
Couldn't agree more with all your points and unfortunately #5 is the tough one to swallow. This team will get better as the year goes on and 5-11 is probably not out of the question. Still would land us a Top 10 pick, but definitely not #1 when you look at teams like Jax, Indy, KC, San Fran, St Louis, Cincy, etc. Those teams in my opinion are all worse than the 2011 Dolphins and remember, we are only 3 games in. A lot can change with 14 more weeks to go.
Yes, Ross did undercut Sparano's authority, however at that point I think the team was lost. Two lockerroom captains in Ricky and Ronnie spoke out after last season. My opinion is that regardless of Ross's pursuit of Harbaugh, Sparano would still have lost the team. If he is such a players' coach, I would make the argument the players would fight for him more since they know he is officially on the hotseat. Instead they are coming out criticizing practice.
You know the defense did give up an 80 yard drive to give Cleveland the lead with minutes remaining. That shouldnt be overlooked.
Agree on Ross and Sparano and totally agree on Henne. If I was Ireland I would sign him to a new contract without any hesitation. None.
I agree, the locker room WAS potentially lost late last season, even before the Harbaugh disaster. That's not a good excuse on Ross' behalf, if anything its even more damning.
The offense was a known issue to begin with. It was reported that Sparano met with Nolan before the season and told him that the defense would probably need to shoulder more of the burden earlier in the season due to the new offensive coordinator and system and the lockout having cut into the time to implement it. I think if people were expecting the frog to suddenly turn into a prince they're off base. It takes time in the best of circumstances and certainly will now, even with the improvement Henne has shown. Because of this, I think the Defense is the problem. They're the ones that were given the burden and the responsibility early in the year, and they're the ones not living up to their end of the bargain.
But was not crappy overall, there were some good signs, like ST did not allow the Browns to do much with returns, DThomas played well in back to back weeks, his first two games that is to say. Eh, still have to win though!
I don't know because as soon as the run game became solid, the defense has responded by giving up 16 and 17 by themselves. That's not great, but it can improve and it's not miserable. Perhaps that's what it's all about in the NFL these days. Playing defense is extremely hard, if you don't have a running game you can't do it. Find a second running back, improve on Colombo and go with it.
Among other things Jaj: -Start Cook and Garner over Carey and Colombo in the upcoming weeks, first practice tomorrow, let's see if they are dinged or what. Will not lower myself to hope for something bad to happen to Colombo or Carey...but then again, I'd have nothing to do with it. -Sit Reshad Jones for pete's sakes, dude is killing us. -Let us all hope Will Allen is a full go, that instantly improves Cb play, no way should Carroll be starting over WA if he is healthy.
Was Larry Johnson really that bad that you can't give him 10 carries these days and he gets you forty yards? I have a feeling that if we ran against New England with Daniel Thomas, had Clemons in there, and were properly conditioned that game would have been very different. Look at how the Jets beat in the playoffs in Foxboro. They ran the ball against them. They're vulnerable to the run. By the way what are the grades on PFF for the loveable Dolphin right side as well as the injury updates?
Well, first things first, Henne has established the deep pass for us, no one can deny him that one, now what can they work off of it to get us that first W? Have not watched SD play this yr, do think the Dline twitched a little, not outright signs of life, but I thought I saw a finger move or something, we really have to have them getting after Matthews, Tolbert and Rivers this week.
Think Henne should be brought back...but the Dolphins need to draft one of the Top 3 QB prospects in the first round. If they do win 5 or 6 games, then they need to trade up to get one. Enough is enough. We hope it's luck, but I'd gladly take Jones as well. Henne would make a really good backup though. I blame this coaching staff for the team's issues more, even though I don't think Henne is a franchise QB.
Have to be able to stop the run game against San Diego. Point is San Diego will likely score somewhere in the mid-20s. They're really ****ing good on offense. You need 30 to beat them soundly. How do you get that out of this offense?
As a unit they are. As individuals none of them are on every play. Henne is on every play. Jimmy Wilson, a rookie, probably should have made a better play (actually he should have, not probably). Henne, should have made one first down. Henne, a veteran, could'nt get 10 yards. Colt McCoy, drove 80 yards. Henne, couldn't get 10. Colt, a 2nd year player and starter. Henne, a 4th year player, 3 year starter.
There's no way around that argument. One first down and they couldn't get it? End of the story is Henne sucks in short-yardage this year.
1). More specifically, the offensive line. But if you were to assign blame for losses, you have to look squarely at the defense, at least this year so far. 2). That bungled attempt at getting Harbaugh totally undermined Sparano and Ireland. I just don't see it any other way. And his whining about butts in the seats are a direct result of him putting his efforts into everything but the organization itself, at least from the outside looking in. 3). That may not be the case if Ireland is kept on, but it's not unreasonable at all to look at it that way. Naturally who the replacement for Sparano is will go a long way in deciding that. At this point in time, you can't really say that Henne is the problem with this team no matter how you dissect it. If both Sparano and Ireland go, all bets are off. this past off-season and the lockout certainly did nothing to help Sparano or Ireland to get this team back to respectability. It's really a shame, as you said, I don't think we're quite as bad as we look right now. 4). Just my opinion but I would think Long is about the only safe one on the roster, particularly if Cowher or Fisher or Gruden are the next in line, as has been Ross MO. But I tend to agree with you the trading players is not the way to go. 5). Well I did see the Dallas Cowboys offensive line last night and they looked pretty comical, even worse than our line. One thing for sure though, this team has a lot more talent on it now than it did four years ago.
Did you see how our recievers fail to get seperation? I was shocked watching BM round off pass routes allowing the db to stay in his hip pocket. That's not on Henne! Where was Bush? No wheel routes, seem routes, no trying to get him matched up with a line backer. The play calling was pathetic on the last series.
I have to admit i supported Sparano up until this last game. I did not see Bush and Thomas on the field at the same time. I know why they did it because of that horrible O line. They needed max protection on every poassing play but if it is that bad and you have not made a change then someone needs to be shown the door. You take Bush, Thomas, and Fasano out of the passing game you handicap your whole offense. Now if this was something that just came up it would be a different story but this is the third week with the same issue. The nice thing about having those three in the backfield is that the screen is always a viable weapon but you can't over do it with screen they get predictable very fast. One of my biggest complaints is that everyone knows Bess is Henne's go to man so why do you always have him on short yardage passes. I think if you had him go downfield you would see Henne go down the field more. And once he did it a time or two you would have the defense cheating the field expecting it which gives you the long ball option more. Or even a pump fake to him gives you seperation on you short yardage targets
