I'm not trying to be obtuse, but what happened to this team. Everything's going along fine. We look good. Then we do a 180 and I can't put my finger on what caused it. Anyone have any ideas? And not ideas about why we are bad, or whatever, but ideas what suddenly CHANGED. Because I'm flummoxed by how abrupt it was.
We're a young, inconsistent team w glaring issues at OL and in the secondary. To a lesser degree at WR/TE/RB/K. But hey we got an electric KR for the first time in a long time
Well starting with the Cincinnati game I feel people caught up with what Sherman was doing, they had enough tape on us to disect it and figure out how to counteract us. The offense has really struggled since then. On defense it took a couple of weeks longer but it looks like the lack of talent on that side of the ball was exposed too. It's all about talent, and we have little to none elite and upper echelon talent, and without that you end up with 4 losing seasons in a row, and a GM that rightly so should be under fire.
Teams got tape on us. This secondary is a group of clowns and there's no hiding it anymore. Wilson, smith, and Carroll are getting torched every game and it's clear other teams know that now. Any time an opposing teams qb sees us in man coverage, he probably smiles from ear to ear. IMO all 3 need to go this offseason. Running game died. I can't pinpoint why exactly. But it's definitely crippled us on offense. Rookie qb without a running game =\= succes
Sometimes I think the talent on a roster is more perception based on If a team won this week than on the absolute talent level of the players. We win a couple games and people will say this roster has talent again. Go figure.
Defensively - Something happened to our Dline. Not sure what, but they're not nearly as dominating in the run or pass as they were. Even if we weren't getting consistent sacks, we always seemed to rush the QB. This change has exposed our secondary. If the QB doesn't have time, guys Sean Smith can be made to look much better than they really are. Let's be honest, that Dline was the one thing we could hang out hats on. Without them preforming as well, everyone on the defense is getting exposed. We def. need to give Cameron Wake some help at the other end of the line. This is why I'm not against a DE with our 1st pick. To me, it's DE or WR. Take the best one available. Offensively - The change is not so sudden. We've struggled all year putting points on the board. When the running game was better (run blocking) we seemed to move the ball much more consistently. Even if we only managed a FG. Without any running game, Ryan Tannehill has to be almost perfect. Which is not possible with the bad pass blocking and lack of receiving threats.
I hope its not a locker room issue. I have heard a few good hypothesis'. I am just as clueless as the OP but I agree there was a sudden abrupt night/day change. I think it only goes back to the Titans game and this game. The Colts game is consistent with how we have been playing and how we came short by 3 points in 3 games. I am very surprised we only lost by 5 points today because we played like horse crap. It blows my mind how the entire team sucked, with the exception of Thigpen's TD. Even our only offensive score was a drive that was kept alive with penalties. I thinks its back to back losses that coaches are responsible for. That's the only thing that makes sense to me besides a secret meeting of the players agreeing to play like crap. I think its much more likely that the coaches aren't doing their jobs to properly prepare for these games, or other teams are catching on to our tendacies. Whatever it is, its needs to be resolved asap. These last 2 games are piss poor. I refuse to believe that we don't have the talent to win games. We have talent, its not great talent but its a decent functional winnable talent that for some reason hasn't been used properly these past 2 games. It makes me sick!
It's lack of talent imo I think we had a really good training camp and came into the season more prepared than other teams however with every team in mid season form now lack of talent starts to show.
Once teams studied some tape on Tannehill, the lack of talent became impossible to overcome. We'll see what Philbin has in his bag of tricks, but this offense is going nowhere fast. Mayock made a great point yesterday when he said this team has nobody to take the top off the defense.
Personally I am at a loss too. I get we don't have the talent all around on this team to dominate week after week, but our showing today was just atrocious...maybe how I expected us to play game one, but not now, especially after starting 4-3. With the exception of the 4th quarter, I have never seen an offense just suck like that. Also, I think our lack of talent at CB has really been exposed the last two weeks.
IMO defenses have changed how the play against us. Theyre crowding the LOS, playing press on our WR's, squatting on short routes with CB's and LBs forcing our WR's and QB to beat us deep. Which of course allows them to stuff the run. We dont have the personnel at WR to open things up downfield, so the run game stalls, and the passing game... well it is what it is too without a deep threat, or a threat at WR period, nothing will change IMO.
we cant run anymore, sets up 2nd and 3rd and longs... with our below average WR core, thats a problem... especially with an Oline who lets up a ton of pressure... our style is on tape now and teams are gameplanning to stop it, and we dont have the talent to win a lot of one on one matchups... my solution, spread it out and pass more on 1st downs, take more shots down the field even if unsuccessful... seems everything is short passing, and we run on first down every damn drive... Actually i checked, last night: 14 1st down plays before the 4th quarter... 10 runs 4 passes, and those 10 runs gained us 9 yards. Those second and third and longs putting us in the hole on offense, and when most teams can take out our top receiving threat 1 on 1, we're screwed...
You have to look at why we aren't running well anymore though. Again, I think NFLN did a great job showing replays from angles that allowed you to see downfield, just take a look at how many defensive players are in the box playing against the run. It happens consistently, because nobody fears our WR's to do anything but 5-10 yard quick slants, outs, curls etc. There's nobody to stretch the defense, and that allows you to keep your defense up close, taking away the run, and the short, quick passes. It's all over for our offense from there. This team needs a threat at WR badly. We need to stretch out the defense. Until we do, its like Sparano/Henne all over again, your only options for passing are hoping guys like Bess and Hartline get open quick, luckily for us that's their strengths, so it happens from time to time, but then we're left with what we saw last night, mostly 5-10 yard passes.
THink about it. The Phins lost two games in a row to teams with absurdly fast running backs. Maybe that's what happened?? Maybe this team is fine if they are facing a more conventional RB.
I don't think anything happened or changed really. We all got duped early by this team beating a couple of lollipops in the Jets, Raiders and Ram (barely). Although, scoring a combined 10 points against the 2 worst defenses in the NFL is a joke......
What happened is really pretty easy, and it echos alot of what has already been said. Ryan Tannehill, although seemingly brilliant during the first quarter of the season has been figured out. With enough accumulated game film, defensive coordinators have been able to develop an effective game plan to force him into bad decisions. Two interceptions last night against Buffalo and 3 interceptions the week prior against Tennessee is proof positive of that. Joe Philbin and Mike Sherman need to develop better situations for Tannehill otherwise the interceptions are going to continue. Bad play calling/Not committing to the run; As I stated in the Buffalo game day thread, one stat I've noticed in our losses this year, last year and the two years prior to that with Henne at the helm, we're not committing to the run. When the score of last night's game was 16-7, the one stat I looked at was how many times had we run the ball. At that point in the game, we had thrown the ball twice as much as we had run the ball, for a whopping 48 yards I believe it was at that point. That's just not going to cut it. If you can't run the ball early in the game, you're not controlling the ball, the ball is controlling you. If we can't get an effective ground game going and force the offense into 3rd and long situations, defenses are going to bide their time and be poised to pick Tannehill off, just like they did with Henne. Weak secondary; our secondary is getting chewed to pieces and not by great quarterbacks either. Neither Fitzpatrick nor Locker are great quarterbacks and yet those two quarterbacks were able to effectively throw the ball and gain large chunks of real estate against our defense. Our run defense is holding its own for the most part, forcing teams into 3rd and long situations but our secondary isn't delivering. Bottom line: Joe Philbin has done a great job in redirecting the team as evident by the first quarter of the season. At one point, there were sports writers listing Miami as a possible wild card playoff team, but since putting the team on this new direction, we've not adjusted for the adjustments made on us. Now unless the coaching staff's philosophy this year is baptism by fire, regardless of the win/loss then by all means toss the team to the wolves, shake up the tree and see what's left standing. We'll finished in the basement, be poised for another high 1st round draft pick and then we can listen to the clamor of "Lose for Landry" or whatever nonsense comes along like last year's "Suck for Luck". There is a method to that madness; let the rookies and young players make all the mistakes this first year under the Philbin regime so they know better for next year. If that's the mindset, everyone better be ready for yet another disappointing season. If that's not the mindset however, Philbin needs to use his adminstrative skills he so clearly demonstrated in Green Bay and get this team turned around right quick and in a hurry. He and Mike Sherman are supposedly offense juggernauts and yet, our offense can't punch the ball in the endzone, settling for the all too familiar Sparano fist pumping field goals. I know this is a young team however, players' play is elevated by the motivation and leadership of their coaches. Great players play mediocre under average coaches (ala Drew Brees in New Orleans this year) but good players play GREAT under great head coaches (ala Alex Smith under Jim Harbaugh last year). To paraphrase "Goose" from Top Gun..."C'mon Philbin, do some of that coaching **** man!"
Ineffective Qb play coupled with ineffective offensive line play leads to a worn out defense and few points. Keep in mind last yr when Bush was so effective MMoore was Qbing and we had Marshall, this yr Tannehill and subtract Marshall and here we are.
The talent level on the roster caught up with them... bottom line that is it. I expected nothing out of this season so I'm not floored. Really the only thing that worries me is what looks like some real regression in the play of Tannehill. What is critical about this season in the end is that the coaching staff gets their system and strategies ingrained into the team and the progression of Tannehill. That is what is critical for the future and is all they can work on. The rest is on Ireland.
Tannehill needs that early confidence back. The question is, will the rest of the team respond as well? The D did their job to give Tanny a chance last night.. Now we need our OL and WR's to improve.
While Tannehill has kind of hit the brick wall, and that is to be expected for most rookie qbs, the offensive line play and the secondary play, which can be partially blamed on the inconsistent pass rush, has been especially bad over this three game streak. I like what I am seeing from Jones. Carroll has regressed, and so has Smith. And the Buffalo line really did handle guys like Starks last night. I have been especially disappointed in Odrick. The pig (this team) had been wearing a pretty nice dress there for a while, but has now been exposed for the swine it is.
Defenses have adjusted figuring out we cant open the field no line, no deep threat. Our defense is soft so bad combo
It looks to me like theres an attitude problem and the team is not playing with purpose or energy. When you get beat in the fashion that we've been beaten the past two games, I think it's more mental, locker room issues. Their gonna be on their own this week trying to come together because they will not have the support of a home field advantage to lean on..
I agree 100%. Earlier in the season, teams weren't sure how to prepare for the Dolphins because of the change in coaching staff. Now teams have figured out what the Dolphins want to do on offense and they know how to stop them. The fact that the Colts, Titans, and the Bills, three of the worst defenses in the NFL have been able to shut down the Dolphins offense isn't a good omen going forward. Teams with decent passing attacks have also figured out that the this defenses major weakness is a pass rush and the secondary. Tom Brady is just licking his lips, waiting to play against the Dolphins pass defense twice in the coming two months. The Dolphins run defense has also regressed over the past two weeks. As you stated, it is all about talent and the Dolphins have very little of that. Especially on the offensive side of the ball and in the secondary.
As far as offense goes, told all of you that Sherman is going to be hated by mid season. The mans playcalling is as predictable as the hands on a watch. This is the main reason he was fired at ATM. Not saying we could not use a number one type receiver or an Adrian Peterson type running back. Sherman has been the pits for years now. All NFL teams have to do is look at any Texas A & M film and the dumbest of dumb can figure out what is coming next. Add to that Sherman is as thick headed as they come and sorry to say we have to put up with him for at least onemore season. No different then when we came out with the wildcat. At first it was a hit then once other teams figured it all out it has gone by the wayside in the entire NFL. Slam me if you want but yeah we have some personal holes to fill but I said it when he came and I will say it until he leaves. Mike Shermans days should have been over when he was fired at Texas A&M. IMO, this benching crap is BS. In Pop WARNER yeah, in the NFL ? No. Philbin and Sherman are tyring to use Bush like the Texans use Foster or SF uses Gore and Bush in no way shape or form is a power runner.
Mike Sherman and Kevin Coyle aren't running anything new or anything that was unexpected. Teams are playing Miami the same way they did all season. This is just histrionics to fit preconceived notions.
They all pulled tapes from TEXAS A&M games while Sherman was there. Our offense is a mirror image minus number one receiver, of Texas A&M and Sherman got his asss kicked there also.
We fans know this, why doesn't our GM ? How could he have sent this team into the season this badly prepared ? That to me is an indictment of his judgement skills at the very least, and its also dereliction of duty. His only answer was to trade for an established quantity (Marshall) because I believe he doesn't trust his own skill to pick one in the draft. That is why we are so deficient on offense, he just doesn't believe in his own ability or is just truly that bad. If its otherwise it's dereliction of duty to the point that you sabotaged the season either intently or again because you lack the skills necessary to do the job. Any way you cut it, it all comes back to him and his decisions.
Moore was under center when we beat the Jets. I think the team/players hearts are really with Moore and are just putting up with Sherman and Tannehill because they all like their jobs. Moore should be the starter against Seattle because Tannehill is going to throw another 2 or three picks if they start him. Problem here is Sherman wants Tannehill because he knows Shermans friggin antiquated offense. The offense that got their assss kicked in College and now getting its asss kicked in the NFL. Anyone who doubts it look into the facts, they are all over the place. Boosters at Texas A&M wanted Sherman gone before the season started but the AD stuck up for him. Sherman never saw another season. And if you say ' hey, thats college football ' Let me tell you something. Texas A&M has oil money boosters that can buy and Sell Ross in a half a heartbeat. Maybe a 1/4 heartbeat.
Sorry but that isn't happening. They are what they are, there is no upside on these guys. People need to realize that.
