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The Secret to 2-0?

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Fin D, Sep 16, 2013.

  1. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    I think its the fact that for the first time that I can remember, (yes including the ZT & JT defenses) our defense can stop 3rd down conversions.

    Browns only had 1/14
    Colts only had 7/15

    What do you think the secret has been?
     
    Canad-phin likes this.
  2. anlgp

    anlgp ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A

    An overall improved team
     
  3. Bpk

    Bpk Premium Member Luxury Box

    Holiday Inn Express
     
  4. Nappy Roots

    Nappy Roots Well-Known Member

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    Putting them in 3rd and long with good pass rush.
     
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  5. 54Fins

    54Fins "In Gase we trust"

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    over there
    Score more points than our Opponents? :groucho:

    Yes, stopping 3rd down conversations, winning the TO battle and sustaining long drives (T.O.P) while getting points is key.
     
  6. Stringer Bell

    Stringer Bell Post Hard, Post Often Club Member

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    Efficiency.
     
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  7. 72 Dolphins

    72 Dolphins New Member

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    Ryan Tannehill looks like he worked his a$$ off in the off-season, mentally and physically and became a better QB. He has been outstanding even with this team 3rd to last in sacks allowed(Jax/Clv) and 29th out of 32 teams in Offensive Line performance.

    RT has been a baller. Given solid offensive line play and you gotta believe 23 and 24 points turn into 34 and 35 points or more.

    Team MVP after two weeks.
     
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  8. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

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    Jeff Ireland bringing in playmakers and coach Philbin instilling his stamp and culture on the team.
     
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  9. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    I still don't see what tannehill is doing different this year as opposed to last year. He jsut has better surrounding talent and a defense that gets TOs and puts him on shorter fields.
     
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  10. Tone_E

    Tone_E Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I think much like our defense of the past few years, this version has a 'bend but don't break' level of performance so far. We seem to let our opponents drive the ball up field and then become stout and resilient beginning at our 40. It will keep us in games, and with an improved offense from years past, I think we will see a 2-4 more game win total putting us in contention for a wild card spot, or a division title with a few key AFCE wins.
     
  11. jdallen1222

    jdallen1222 Well-Known Member

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    Coaches are chalking it up to their new practice schedule(taking off on thursdays instead of tuesdays). Players are saying they still feel fresh in the 4th quarter.
     
    Fin D likes this.
  12. SICK

    SICK Lounge Moderator

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    Long drives on offense, and setting ourselves up with short 3rd downs and actually GETTING first downs on 3rd down. Balanced attack, getting multiple people touches....and solid defense.
     
  13. 72 Dolphins

    72 Dolphins New Member

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    Sorry Fin - His decision making is much quicker and his talent isn't much better. Worse Offensive Line / Definately Worse Running Game / Upgrade with Wallace but Bess and Gibson are interchangable and he still has Hartline.

    Reggie Bush catching balls out of the backfield is way better than anything we have now.

    I disagree, the difference isn't the talent around him - it's RT making faster decisions and accurate throws. It's RT understanding the offense that much better. Listen, it is crazy to think this guy hasn't improved and won't continue to improve.
     
  14. Shamboubou

    Shamboubou Well-Known Member

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    Scheme and Talent. S. Smith was one of the worst about giving up 1st downs IMO. I think our new scheme is really improved our secondary play. That Colts game was almost a carbon copy of the game last year except Grimes picks off the jump ball S. Smith gave a TD up on.
     
  15. Bpk

    Bpk Premium Member Luxury Box

    [video=youtube;F2ImK6JPhFk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2ImK6JPhFk[/video]
    One of the sketches I wrote when that was what I did for a job.
     
  16. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    I'm sure he's improved. I just think when the only receiving options you have are Bess and doubled Hartline, your season will look like it did last year. This year Tannehill has Hartline, Wallace, Gibson & Clay on any given play. What you think are quicker decisions are more likely the fact he doesn't have to wait for one of two options to get open.
     
  17. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    Defense finally making more plays.
    Offense not being played over the first 80 yards of the field as if it's compressed in the RZ.
    Less offensive predictability.
    QB improvement.
    Year 2 of transitioning into new schemes & philosophies and having another offseason to bring in more players who fit.
    Young players & coaches on a young team having an another year of seasoning under their belts.
    Improved YAC.
    Improved receiving corps.
     
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  18. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    I don't agree with this. I do but I don't. It's somewhat of a circular-logic answer b/c efficiency didn't improve the team. The team itself improved to where it became more efficient. Improved efficiency is the affect, not the cause. It's not like we took the exact same personnel, schemes, playcalling, etc from last year and simply asked it to perform better. Effort was put into exacting change, which has in turn improved efficiency.
     
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  19. Not So Fast

    Not So Fast Well-Known Member

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  20. JimToss

    JimToss Thank You Chad Pennington

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    Not playing great teams.

    I am enjoying it, but the bandwagon really gets rolling with a win over Atlanta.
     
  21. 72 Dolphins

    72 Dolphins New Member

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    Your forgettin Reggie Bush...out of the backfield and Fasano being as good or better than Clay. Wallace is a huge addition, I'll give anyone that...but

    We gave up 37 sacks and 66 QB hits last season...we're on pace this season for 72 sacks and 96 QB hits. Yet your QB has improved his rating from 76.1 to 94.2. Is that really one Wallace? Considering all the other drop offs we have taken on the O-Line and at RB.

    Nonono - Ryan Tannehill has been the difference maker. 23 points with no Wallace / 24 points with Wallace and likely 30+ points in either game with solid O-line play.

    RT has been the MAN !
     
  22. MonstBlitz

    MonstBlitz Nobody's Fart Catcher

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    Very refreshing change from last year when you could set your watch to opposing offenses converting nonsense like 3rd and 12 or 3rd and 15.
     
  23. 54Fins

    54Fins "In Gase we trust"

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    over there
    Changed that for ya'.
     
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  24. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I'd say so efficiency so far, both offensively and defensively. Miami hasn't shot itself in the foot and have been able to produce long drives that end in TDs instead of FGs. Defensively, the pass-rush and better 3rd down defense is the main difference to this point. As long as the run defense continues to make teams one-dimensional, it'll play into the strength of the defense, which is pressuring the quarterback.

    Atlanta and New Orleans should provide us with a better gauge as to how good the defense really is, and how much they've improved from last year.

    Offensively, Ryan Tannehill's ball placement and accuracy have improved. Having Mike Wallace certainly has been advantageous. The running-game still needs improvement in all facets. I think that could bite Miami at some point if they're not able to finish off a game by running out the clock.
     
  25. Bumrush

    Bumrush Stable Genius Club Member

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    100% correct Mons. We never met a 4 and 15 we didn't blow. Yesterday was refreshing to see.
     
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  26. maynard

    maynard Who, whom?

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    We are no longer a half step behind on defense. We have Mike Wallace and Hartline is now the guy you go to when the D is taking a lot away from you, rather than being your main threat. Ryan is better at everything
     
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  27. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    I know RT has improved, but you realize having Wallace, Gibson, and Hartline rather than Hartline & the pokey Bess make it easier for a QB to improve his decision making by presenting him better options, right?.... and you understand how this improved dynamic makes the offense less predictable, as well as prevents defenses from playing us in a 20 yard box at all times?
     
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  28. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    I'm not forgetting Bush. He was rarely a receiving target for us, and Fasano is the wrong TE for this offensive scheme. And we didn't do anything so far this year, without Wallace as he was still on the field drawing coverage away form Hartline & Gibson.

    The simple fact of the matter is that Ryan was, for the most part, already this good last year he just didn't have the targets to throw to nor did the defense help him out. Again, 4 TDs this year so far have either been scored on YAC or set up on YAC. That did not happen last year, because Bess was a poor fit and Hartline is not a #1 Wr and its all we had last year.
     
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  29. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    yeah add that to my list, too--- improved YAC.
     
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  30. maynard

    maynard Who, whom?

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    Yeah watching Wallace scoot into the end zone was surreal, like I was watching a highlight of another team
     
  31. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    Yeah....we scored on a screen. When the hell does that happen?
     
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  32. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    Yep, Bess would've been caught by the defensive tackle at the 15, and Hartline would've been shoved out at the 5.... if he weren't first phantom tackled at the 20.
     
  33. 72 Dolphins

    72 Dolphins New Member

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    You'll never get me to believe that you honestly believe that Ryan Tannehill is not significantly improving over the early course of his career...That he came out of Texas AM as this polished NFL QB who only needed a Mike Wallace to show us all what he has always been since we drafted him. There are so many differences in this kid from last year to this year and they all don't involve Mike Wallace.

    He had a better all-around offense last year. Better O-Line / Better Running Game / Better RB out of the backfield / Better Pass Pro / Better TE.

    Is it Charles Clay making RT look so good, or really, is RT making Clay look like a TOP tier TE?? The Kid puts the ball right between his numbers on every pass.

    And really, was Charles Clay YAC, the result of how great Charles Clay is, or was it that the Indy safety pulled a DION on the play?

    Lets keep this realistic.
     
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  34. Larryfinfan

    Larryfinfan 17-0...Priceless Club Member

    Well, I can see two things....

    1) his accuracy has improved. It wasn't terrible last season, but it could have been better. He's leading his receivers and giving them a better shot at both completions and YAC....

    2) His decision making process is quicker. He is seeing the field better. He's reading and reacting a bit quicker than in the past. Again, it's not that he was terrible last year, but these little things added to the new toys he has to throw to add up to a better Ryan Tannehill...
     
  35. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    Bush could do that last year. He had some touchdowns that looked so good you couldn't even do them in Madden. In fact, that touchdown he had against Indy was one of the best I have seen.

    I highly disagree with the "tannehill improvement not being the most important thing" camp.

    I am seeing a much better Tannehill in the first two games this season, in comparison to the first two games last season.
     
  36. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

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    I said he's improving. i just think as of the last game, he's not miles better than last year its just that we are better overall. And no, our offense was not better last year and its not even close. Fasano is not a better TE for this specific offense than Clay. Bush is not a better RB for this specific offense.

    Tannehill looked great last year already. Many of us could see the problem was the surrounding talent...he had none that could be effective under the circumstances. You cannot simply write off the difference in YAC leading to scores this year. Its night and day, and YAC is 90% the receiver. He's every bit the QB as the Big 3 are if not more.

    Further more, his surrounding talent is so much better (as his defense at getting the ball back) Tannehill will make leaps and bounds in the second half of the season. This same exact team last year, gets the same results they are getting this year so far with Tanny as a rook.
     
  37. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    yeah exactly- let's keep this realistic {pointing my finger at you}. Sorry but you'll never get anyone to believe we spent all that money upgrading the WR position for no damn reason as if the position is insignificant. We went from the WORST receiving corps in the league last year that had only 2 goddam contributors to now offering a solid trio that Tannehill can better depend on. Now, obviously Tannehill has improved; no one is saying otherwise. However it's a fool's argument to think going from Hartline/Bess to Wallace/Hartline/Gibson doesn't affect the passing game, how defenses scheme it up, and the efficiency & production from QB.

    Do you seriously think Thomas, Welker, and Decker don't impact Manning's success/performance? ....or Cobb, Nelson, and Jones on Rodgers'?.... or Julio & Roddy on Ryan's?.... or the reverse on Brady now that he's limited at WR? Puhleeze. :unsure:


    Brady's has a 74.4 QBR through 2 games w/ 53% completions, 4.74 YPA, and is on pace for 24 TDs & 3784 yards. I guess a HOFer still at the pinnacle of his game just turned to hot garbage overnight and forgot how to play the position huh? It's just a coincidence that he has crap to throw too, eh? :001_rolleyes:

    It's humorous that you leave out a key element of the passing game, you know- the guys responsible for catching passes. :lol:
    It doesn't matter what all that other stuff is if the QB has an overall crappy receiving corps that's easily defendable. Brady has an even better Oline, a better run game, better backs out of the backfield, but he's cut off at the wrists b/c he's limited at receiver.
     
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  38. Finrunner

    Finrunner Season Ticket Holder

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    Most people are probably arguing the improvement from the end of last year rather than the beginning. He definitely grew over the year last year. Reps in game situations are really the best way to do that for the guys who swim. Tannehill swam last year, though; he didn't sink.

    I do think that Tanne's making quicker decisions this year and just having a year's experience and an offseason helps, but it's definitely correct to point out -- and people have in this thread -- that having better weapons increases that speed. Mike Wallace gets open faster and has good YAC. Hartline was the best we had last year and we kept him. Clay has definitely continued to progress, and playing time has helped him. Gibson knows how to find soft spots in the zones and provides a sizable receiving target in the middle of the field. All those things help making a decision faster because they're open faster.

    It's probably a little of both, imo. The weapons are better, and Tannehill decision-making has sped up. Fractions of fractions of seconds actually mean a lot in that process, and Tannehill seems to be a little better with the pre-snap reads and then getting the ball off a little quicker. But there's no doubt the weapons are better, too.
     
  39. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    Oh the end? I am still seeing an improved Tannehill. The weapons are nice, however I don't think the Tannehill that was playing at the end of last season could take advantage of them as well as he can now. Some of his passes have been ridiculous. Plus the running game is much more terrible this season than it was last season.
     
  40. jdallen1222

    jdallen1222 Well-Known Member

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    Think of last year as Tannehill test driving the car, and this year, Ireland bought it for him. I think what you are looking for from Tannehill, you will see at some point in the season. It's not one thing that clicks, it's many and they don't all happen at once. His throws are better, his decisions are quicker, I think he still holds the ball too long at times, but not nearly as much as last year. It's all falling into place man, it's exciting.
     

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