http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/29/dolphins-koa-misi-our-defense-can-be-great/ yeah I know it's Misi. The defensive players have seen their new additions Grimes, Ellerbe, Wheeler, Taylor up close, they know the skillset that Dion brings to the table..they know what they did last year under some poor circumstances (as far as defenses go) and they seem confident they can play at a higher level.. I know we can sit here and say lets let it play out, but where's the fun in that sh&$.. I think we should be excited, were young, fast, and a lil cocky in a good way.. Tell ya why I like this kind of talk..cause it can affect the way they approach the rest of their offseason, when you state something like that, you are more inclined to keep your *** in the gym.. That good looking uniform has got them thinking good about themselves...maybe it's magical.lol
pretty damn good last year, even with our inconsistent pass rush. Plus our LB core is upgraded and I would argue our secondary is too...
They need to give Starks more plays off to keep him fresh, especially earlier in games. He'll have games when he is dominant, then later in the yr he vanishes, suspect he just wears down. Otherwise, sure, especially if Jordan can get after Qb's consistently to balance out Kraken.
Wake will flush Dion will finish, he's so explosive in short areas Pod, so even if he doesn't win his matchup he will be able to pounce.
I think some of that, with regard to last year, is that he didn't practice at all the last few weeks of the season. He was dealing with a family death I believe, and didn't practice.
his mom was sick the whole last quarter..from what I read it was a tough battle for everyone involved.
I think a lot of it depends on the new LBs. Miami at one point last year was 1st in the entire NFL in rush defense, and finished 13th, allowing 108.4 ypg. I think some of that was due to Starks' drop-off and missing Koa Misi at the end of the year. In total defense, Miami was 21st (27th in pass defense) so I'd like to think the additions will help them improve, especially in the secondary. However, some of those additions could potentially be rookies - Taylor and Davis. Do they hit a wall? That said, I think the overall success of the defense falls at the feet of Ellerbe and Wheeler. Is Ellerbe going to play like he did in the postseason consistently? Will he get hurt, again? How does Wheeler play in a new role? Are the two of them as consistent as Dansby and Burnett? They might make more flashy plays and get after the passer better, but do they make key tackles against the run? Do they consistently get guys lined up correctly, etc. and so forth? Joe Philbin mentioned in his presser today that he saw Ryan Tannehill after practice and said that Tannehill said he'd seen a lot more "new" looks out of the defense today, and the offense didn't play so well. I think Kevin Coyle mixing things up more will help. What baffles me, is that while Miami was able to limit some of the better offenses in the league, from a points allowed perspective (referring to Cincinnati, Seattle, San Francisco, New England), Miami also had its fair share of eggs laid (Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, first Bills game). More consistency out of the unit as a whole is going to help as well. I also think Coyle could be a little predictable at times. I'll predict Miami finishes in the top 10 in points allowed again this year (7th in 2012), has a top 5 rush defense, top 20 pass defense, and finishes between 10-15 in total defense. Not that I really believe players rise to the occasion when it comes to contracts - some certainly do, but I don't see that happening under Philbin - an underrated factor could be that MORE than half the starting defense is playing for a new contract in 2013. Randy Starks, Paul Soliai, Koa Misi, Brent Grimes, Chris Clemons, and Reshad Jones are all free agents after 2013. Just something to consider.
I believe the corner play was pretty bad last year, 1 thru 3, i believe the talent there now will be upgrades, I think Ellerbe communicating with Lewis for years and being able to execute in a superbowl can only rub off, the addition of another pass rush threat in Dion.. Something went down with the team before that buffalo game, not sure what it was,mbut that effort was just pathetic, the whole team, we were comin off a win and had an oppurtunity to gain some momentum, and we sh&$ the bed, I believe it was after the jet loss, where we always lose..
The first Buffalo game was after Tennessee killed us, 37-3. It was on a short week (Thursday Night). Miami hasn't done well on those in recent years. You're right though that we did lose the game after the Jets loss. That was the OT loss to Arizona.
i still think starks decline at the end of the year was more about the death of his mom than anything else Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
This ties into what Mike Wallace was saying about the "college mentality" from the other thread. EVERYONE is truly excited to be on this team!
I think our defense is going to be even better than that! I think our defense is going to be compared with other powerhouse defenses this year (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Chicago). Our defense is going to set the offense up this year for a stellar year. I just feel it deep down!
One reason I liked Misi's remark was what he said about the new players brought in. To hear a member of the team last year, say the new guys are an upgrade from last year and will help them get where they want to go. A new guy has to get more confidence from that and a feeling of belonging. That HAS to make them more confident. The mental part of this can be huge.
Ok, I'm getting fed up with the media. Last year, they made up any number of things that weren't true about players & coaches coming here, and now this year they've created a narrative that the team is boastful when they aren't. Which of the following is boastful: I am a great reporter. -OR- I can be a great reporter. Clearly, the top one is boastful and the bottom one is a goal. Yet, Misi says, "We CAN be great." and the author thinks that's boastful. The media can go **** itself.
Top 5 in total D this year... Better in all phases, and clicking by the end of the year! PLUS, the offense will help the D rest with consistent drives, and more points.
The scoring D was great last year (top 10 should put you in playoff contention). That said, being 21st in yards is indicative of the inability to get off the field very quickly. While the offense was bad it will be helped by getting the ball back sooner and getting some turnovers. Philbin has talked about that a number of times. He think the offense will be better if a) the D is able to get off the field sooner and get the ball back; and b) the offense is able to move the chains and stay on the field longer. I think the reason they didn't care about our CBs so much is that they weren't getting TOs and the same for the double LB switch. I suspect they think that the more speed we have at LB the more we will be able to force some TOs and get the ball back. If we can do that, we will be a much improved team.
I'm not breaking your balls, but you know what I don't understand? Get some fresh new playmakers on offense and everyone suddenly has Viagra induced erections but get some fresh playmakers on defense and everyone is skeptical. Just makes no sense to me at all.
Can't speak for the masses obviously, but in my opinion, I think that reaction is because even a casual fan could tell that Miami was severely lacking playmakers on offense. Miami's defense was actually better statistically in 3 big categories in 2011 than in 2012. They were 6th in points allowed in '11; 7th in '12. They were 3rd in rush defense in '11; 13th in '12. They were 25th in pass defense in '11; 27th in '12. They were 6th in total defense in 2011; 21st in 2012. The overall scheme change wasn't much different between 2011 and 2012 either. So, what gives? Fast forward to 2013 and the players they've added, mainly Ellerbe and Wheeler, don't have as proven, consistent numbers as Dansby and Burnett, and to me, that makes me skeptical. The #1 CB is coming off an Achilles injury. Our #2 and # 3 CBs might be rookies, one of whom is coming off recent surgery. The pass-rusher we drafted to help opposite Wake is also coming off an injury. I think they CAN be better in 2013, don't get me wrong. A LOT better than they were in 2012. But until I see it in action, I'm just not sure it's anything more than a wash across the board. That's just me though. Some of the factors I think Miami has in favor of the defense improving in 2013 are: - More overall speed - General familiarity with the defense - Players that fit the secondary better than last year, particularly at CB - More pass-rushers - Kevin Coyle has a year under his belt as the D-Coordinator. I think with the new players, while consistency might be a question mark, they certainly provide more flexibility to give different looks; which makes it more dangerous overall.
