Jason La Canfora: The Miami Dolphins are overhyped

If he's talking about RG3 then it's not a dumb statement at all. I've been watching all of his games (up to the 2nd Giants game now), and RG3 does more quick screens and other one read throws than anyone I've ever seen in the NFL, by far. I don't think that makes him a lesser player, his skill set makes what he does, and his offense as a whole, very difficult to stop. But he's not back there reading coverages, going through progressions and doing the things that most other QBS in the league have to do to be successful.

 

I think you're onto something, prior to being the "worst team" in the NFL for one season, the Colts had won 10+ games for a decade straight. And they made the playoffs last year on the strength of a soft schedule with last minutes/OT wins vs Miami, Green Bay, Cleveland, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Detroit. I'm going to go out ona limb and say their Luck won't continue.


Oh, and we're going to BEAT their asses come week 2.

 

Gonna be a big game. I hope Tanny plays with a chip on his shoulder. He should start referring to himself as "undrafted"

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

Not even sure what you're talking about here. You have me confused for someone else.

 

LOL, what? How do you take the context and completely twist it around? You said the AFC is the weakest it's been in a long time. Even though the AFC has the Super Bowl winner, two of the best QBs in the history of the game who are still performing like it, and a couple more quarterbacks that are pretty good wildcards and have a history of being hard to beat on Sundays when they have a decent team. One of them has already won multiple championships.

This whole set of consecutive sentences deserves framing and being out on a wall somewhere. Right up there with that Jets fan in the infamous Jets draft disaster video saying "I thought they'd go with Marino, but I guess they know something we don't."

 

lol relax chief, baby steps, lets just focus on trying to crack .500 first and winning more games than we lose, something we haven't been able to do in 4 years

 

How has that hurt NE? As long as Tommy 3 rings is on the field, NE is a favorite to represent in the Super Bowl.

CK is just being realistic. There's a number of talented teams out there. And they have proven commodities at QB. Despite the excitement Tannehill is building, he has yet to accomplish anything. Lets not forget 2010 and our excitement for Henne after he finished 09 with a bunch of those 300 yard games. We were all we excited for his progress and it never came. And while I don't think Tannehill and Henne are comparable as far as talent and coaching, it's justifiable to proceed with caution.

 

I think his arm strength and accuracy is as good as any of those guys, I just didn't get the feeling last year that he was comfortable in the pocket, not comfortable enough to go flat footed for a brief second back there, really see the play unfold, look off a progression, use his pump fakes (which also takes a certain amount of comfortability), and pinpoint a tight throw in the red zone..I sum a lot of that up with just pure inexperience, the freakin dude was a thousand yard receiver three years ago and started at Qb in his rookie year, that really blows me away in itself , so I have hope that the athleticism he possesses combined with a further comfortability with the speed of the game, will produce a quicker reaction to the pressure in the pocket, I don't think he was near those guys last year in that specific trait, a trait that I coveted, i think he can get better, to what degree, im not sure, what that means in the grande scheme of his evaluation, give me another year and lets see, but strictly from the pocket and throwing the ball, he can hang with any of them.

 

Part of your job as a QB is to stay healthy the whole season. That particular statistic is more important than rushing yards. For that reason....Tanny's scrambling > RG3 scrambling because Tanny didnt die. I'm in DC and I love RG3. I'm glad the city has something to be excited about. But the QB didn't survive the season. To me that's a nonstarter....thats unsuccesful. God forbid my kid grows up to be a Skins fan....but I'll be darned if she's as unknolwedgable about the game like the rest of Redskins nation. RG3 was the best QB last season. No he wasn't....He didn't even survive the season. No no no, not today! Not in mah house! *Dikembe swat*

As far as Tanny's ability as a passer, I think he is every bit as capable of performing up to the level of Luck, RG3, and Wilson. I have no doubt. I think its up to him putting in the work and developing that Aaron Rodgers type chip on his shoulder to go out there and compete. In fact, he's got to do more than compete. Not to become Omar, but Tanny has to become a killer. He can't be a Lebron James, distributor of good will amongst his teamates....no...Tanny...step on necks and kill mosquitos with axes. This is the way to greatnesss. Be nice in front of the camera...but on that field.....I want some flare! These gard dern flyboys do a flyby on my tower?!?! I want some butts!!

I think Tanny will be just fine. I think the coaches have a development plan for Tanny, where Luck, Wilson, and RG3 might not have needed a development plan so much because they were so good at doing what they do already. You don't really have to tweak a guy that goes out there and does what he did in college relatively well in the NFL. Tanny probably still needs a little grooming so they tied his right arm behind his back so he could learn to dribble with his left. Let him learn to be a QB the right way. We couldn't let Tanny do his thing...because I'm not sure we know what Tanny's thing is yet. We don't know his style aside from throwing on the run. Could be Jake Plummeresque, who knows. I do know Tanny, on the eye test, has what it takes. He's smart enough between the ears. He just needs to put it all together and make it personal to do so.

I personally think he should just go slap Jim Irsay and Andrew Luck and let that be his motivation.

 

You're equating the Steelers and Dolphins' based on records as if Ryan Tannehill is on equal footing with a two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger. I just don't see that. First off, the Steelers were 8-8, not 7-9. So immediately you have a disparity there between the two teams' success levels. Never mind that the Steelers operated in a division where they had to play four games against the Super Bowl champion Ravens and a Bengals team that made the playoffs for the second straight year. Additionally, Big Ben was 7-6 this year, still a winning quarterback, whereas Ryan Tannehill was 6-9 because Matt Moore played almost the entire second Jets game for him, and played really well to win that game.

For all your talk about the Patriots and who misses what games the past three years, that team is 39-9 over those three years. So maybe you're overrating the importance of those players (ex-Brady & Wilfork, the two best players on the roster) missing games? Maybe? An 81% win percentage over a three year period doesn't suggest you're overstating things perhaps?

The Ravens lost some players, for sure. But they've lost players before, and kept rolling on. They played most of this year without Terrell Suggs, and when he did come back he still wasn't close to 100%. That didn't stop them winning the Super Bowl. They also added some players, don't know if you noticed that Elvis Dumervil and Chris Canty will be suiting up for them next year. Hard to fill a void left by Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, but drafting Matt Elam and Arthur Brown sure as hell is a good start. It would be foolish to think this won't still be a very tough team for anyone to beat on Sunday.

This isn't just about the fact that we play Big Ben, Tom Brady (x2), Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, Joe Flacco, the Bengals, Cam Newton and Phil Rivers...who collectively will be the barriers we must overcome to get to the playoffs. This is also about the teams we could meet in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl. Yeah the Broncos with Peyton at the helm lost their first playoff game, and yeah the Patriots lost in the playoffs as well...but both lost to the future Super Bowl champs.

But it's nice of you to move the goal posts and retreat from your initial characterization of the AFC as being "super, incredibly weak"...to now pretending that in order for you to be wrong "all of those teams will (have to be) fantastic". Yeah, I'm sure THAT is what you were trying to get across when you called the AFC "super, incredibly weak".

 

Lynch was basically a non factor against New England and Wilson still threw for 3 TDs including the game winner, and he came this close to capping off what would've been arguably the greatest 4th qtr comeback in playoff history against Atlanta when he had 3 TDs and threw for almost 400 yards while Lynch got shut down. they took the lead with 30 seconds left, 9 times out of 10 that's good enough to win the game.

 

I think it would be prudent to point out that it appears many are expecting the Dolphins to rise to the forefront.

 

Lol.. Im interested to see what kind of leader he becomes as well, I was really encouraged the other day with his interview on TV, best I ever seen him look..he kinda stepped out for the first time, it was good to see.

 

As opposed to the people who expect the continued development of our young players, the veteran additions and incoming rookies to have little or no positive effect?

 

No, that isn't precluded. They can develop without becoming one of the best teams in the AFC.

One could also argue that the positive effects of development could be negated by the negative effect of players declining.

 

The Miami Dolphins: Jason La Canfora is overhyped.

 

The Ravens are better, paper or not paper, as are the Patriots, Broncos and Texans. The Steelers, Bengals and Colts certainly could lay claim to being better. After all, the Bengals and the Colts made the playoffs and didn't really get any worse this off season (just the opposite) and the Steelers were 7-6 with Big Ben at the helm while the Dolphins were 6-9.

And ON PAPER, I believe the Titans absolutely should be better. A receiving unit of Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright, Nate Washington and Justin Hunter? That ridiculously stacked offensive line blocking for Chris Johnson? Derrick Morgan and Kamarion Wimbley rushing the passer, with Jurrell Casey, Sammie Lee Hill, Karl Klug and Mike Martin in the middle? And they still might even add to that as they've been flirting with John Abraham all off season. Good linebackers led by Akeem Ayers, and Zach Brown has been a lot better than I imagined him being. Secondary isn't bad at all with Jason McCourty, Alterraun Verner, Michael Griffin and Bernard Pollard. Only drag is the quarterback Jake Locker, but how much is he really a drag compared with Ryan Tannehill? I mean Locker had a 74.0 passer rating in 2012, versus Ryan Tannehill's 76.1 rating. It would take some teal colored glasses to really act high and mighty about our quarterback versus theirs, based SOLELY on NFL success. If you're basing it on the college evaluation then that's a different story. Hell, it's well to remember they beat the TAR out of us when we played them.

I think there could easily end up 7 to 9 teams better than the Dolphins in the AFC.

 

I'll take this ad hominem attack as a sign that you have no intelligent answer to the arguments I've laid out, and so now you're just lashing out at the poster out of frustration. What was the word you used? "Typical"? Yup. Typical.

 

Agree for the most part with the exceptions of:

PIT hasn't gotten any better when factoring in the loss of Wallace.

TEN you're giving waaay too much credit to. Locker is def that bad, CJ nowhere near that good, and the OL has to go from bad to at least decent before we call it stacked.

HOU, CIN, and IND are all teams at our level or below, imo.


I don't think the other teams mentioned are dramatically better than us either.

 

Someone needs a timeout. Or a nap.

 

2 of my most respected posters are flushing this thread down the toilet...can you just agree to disagree ?? you both know better than letting it get personal and you are both better than that.

 

If my binky is logic and rationality, then yes. I did bring it.

Seriously, do you know how immature it looks that you just took a conversation about whether the AFC is "super, incredibly weak" and turned it into what you've turned it into? Do you think that looks...GOOD...for you? Does it gain you respect?

We were talking about the AFC. We were talking about the Ravens. The Patriots. The Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Broncos and yes, even the Titans. Somehow you turned the topic of conversation into spittle-laced accusations about Jeff Ireland, who had nothing to do with this conversation.

So to that I say, have a juice box and a nap, and chill out.

 

If you scroll up it's pretty easy to see where the conversation turned from topical to non-topical personal attacks, and who took it there.

 

The title of the thread is JLC: The Dolphins are overhyped.

Was this thread really going to be out of the ****ter for very long?

 

Is that the mature way of saying, "He started it!"?

 

I call the winner in the next round of Celebrity Death Match.

 

How did I in any way whatsoever criminalize you for being excited about what Miami's done? You said the AFC is "super, incredibly weak". I disagreed. I said "I'm scratching my head about that one". You got all pissy about it. Get over it. I disagree with your assessment that the AFC is weak.

I didn't boast their off season moves at all. I barely even discussed them. The fact of the matter is the Baltimore Ravens are the CHAMPIONS. The Dolphins are 7-9. These two teams started at pretty damn different levels. You're pretending that they've come off being the very best team in the National Football League, to being...well it's hard to see what you're saying but the way you say it, it sure sounds like you don't even think they're a playoff team...all in one off season. I don't think that happened. I think they lost some guys but they stemmed that loss fairly well. You're the one descending into all kinds of immaturity about "felatios" and whatnot.

At least now you're actually arguing the topic and setting aside the immature responses that have laced your last four posts.

 

All I have heard from most pundits is that the Dolphins should finish ahead of the Jets and the Bills in the AFC East in 2013. Of course the same pundits predict the Jets and Bills will both be two of the worst teams in the entire NFL this coming season. So predicting the Dolphins will rise to the forefront by merely finishing second in the AFC East, really isn't saying that much from a positive viewpoint regarding the Dolphins. In fact the Dolphins finished second in the AFC East in 2012 and they still finished the season 7-9.

The fact is that the people who make their money setting betting lines in Vegas have the Dolphins over-under win total at seven and a half for the 2013 season. I think this is a very reasonable expectation for this coming season. I think the Dolphins could possibly win as many as nine games in 2013, or they could once again finish 7-9 for the third year in a row. I don't see this as a playoff team in 2013, but if the younger players develop this year and the Dolphins have a good draft in 2014, the Dolphins could be a playoff team in 2014.

 

I see 4-6 teams fighting for a wild card spot. The Dolphins being 1 of them.

The others being:

Colts
Bengals
Steelers
Chargers (outside possibility but doubtful)
Bills (sleeper pick that might surprise some people if Spiller has another solid year and if they have a QB)

I do not really see anyone else in the AFC sniffing the playoffs. 8 or 9 wins could be enough to get in and that's not a far fetched record for Miami to reach.

FTR:
Division leaders

Patriots
Ravens
Houston
Broncos


EDIT frigging CK put Titans in my head. It was a typo I meant Houston. Fixed now.

 

Mark Sanchez is a small man, noway he is the weight he's listed at..210 tops...also when he's in the pocket he shrinks because of the base he needs to set before he throws, to get anything on it, he may be 6'2, but when he releases he's 5'11, fascinating stuff, no wonder the guy sucks.

 

Overhyped? OK, now here's a columnist that comes up with his own material.

 

No, you wouldn't.

 

No worries man. CK's glass is half full for every team except Miami. It's a shame too b/c if he took an even keeled look at all of the teams it would drive conversation on the board for days if not weeks.

 

Man, I was just looking at the other teams free agent signings, doesn't look to good out there..

 

I think if you go back through history, youl'll see that this doesn't really have much of an effect. Very rarely are FA acquisitions moving the scales that much.

 

Those occasions where you abandon a thread early and come back to see the war zone it became are pretty sweet.

 

They sure didn't this year..The biggest gripe of pundits when the talk about our free agency is that yes, we killed it aquiring players, but that is offset by the players we lost, this is where knowing the inner workings of our team is important and where pundits reach epic levels of ignorance..

I can't tell you how many media opinions I've seen where they mention that the losses of Bush and Smith Take away the luster of our free agency.

 

I don't find pundits saying that the acquisitions were good to be a positive.

 

I promise you, all I do is laugh at what's put out there..I take nothing to heart, I like to hate on them though.

 

Especially in the AFC.