In Peter King's fine fifteen, he actually moved us UP from 12 to 8 after the loss to Denver. I know, it's just power rankings, but it goes in the face of the "sky is falling" crowd. The loss was disappointing, but no need to panic over it. This is a good team. http://mmqb.si.com/2014/11/24/odell-beckham-catch-new-york-giants-week-12-nfl/4/
It's amazing that people can't see the forest through the trees. We lost 39-36, on the road, vs one of the best teams in the league. We were missing 3 of our starting OLinemen and our starting TE and still scored 36 points. Unfortunately, our defense took the day off (for once).
I hate we lost but we are three 1/2 weeks into November and we are definately in the thick of this playoff race. The sky is not falling, and I actually feel pretty good where we are at this season.
I think once this team learns how to win some of the games they've lost this year - Green Bay and Detroit specifically - they'll be very dangerous. Losses always sting, but I feel better about the Dolphins than I have since 2002-03. The weaknesses on the team in terms of personnel are pretty easily definable, and you can certainly see what the strengths are to build on. Those strengths *should* carry over to future seasons. I do remember writing that if Miami could get to 7-3 or 6-4 heading into the Denver game, I thought they'd make the playoffs regardless of what happened in Denver. Miami might not have all of the odds in their favor, but if they handle their own business down the stretch, they should make it.
Not a fan of King but lets be honest, even the worst writers make a good point now and then. Hes spot on with this.
They are a dangerous offense, we've known that since week 1. The problem is unbalanced playcalling and putting it in RTs hands too much. Lazor is forcing passing plays. But the bigger problem we came to find is the D. The players on this D are losers and so are the coaches. This D will never be a SB contending D with any of the losers who play for the Dolphins now. They are weak, not good enough, and there is no leadership in tough moments. They all must be fired and the D rebuilt to contend, with right coaches and right new players.
I agree the defense yesterday was garbage, no doubt. But your reaction is a little over the top, don't you think? Not like you to over react like this..lol
Yup well put. Those prior teams that had a shot were scrappy, good D usually but we just had to pray for any kind of offense. This team is developing an identity that we can expect to see week in and week out. In the early 2000's we had that with ricky and the D but this feels like it can keep getting better and go further. More media notes.. Cowherd mentioned Philbin with Bill B. and Arians today for coach of the year...no BS surprised the heck out of me.
That's cool and all that the team gets the credit deserved, but King's not looking at the big picture of how Miami's mounting injuries and lack of depth at certain positions can hold them back from greatness yet again...
True probably not, I'd guess he is basing this on how they have played lately, not moving forward and the impact of those injuries. Like you said, just nice to see us getting some recognition, especially after a loss.
There is something to be said for finding a way to win the nail biters. Game management comes in to play, clutch playmaking, great two minute offenses. These things don't always show up in generic stat sheets, but the true contenders have them and more often than not win the 'thrilling' close games.... We've seen it first hand against GB, DET and Denver. The Dolphins have not won a game where the game was on the line down the stretch. It's tough to rank the Fins with the big boys, because they haven't found a way to win a single game where the outcome was in doubt during clutch time...
We won a couple last year vs good teams, but for this year you are right, really can't argue with this statement. Need to win at least SOME of these types of games to take the next step. Maybe Baltimore will present this team a chance to redeem themselves - but i'd prefer a blow out. Last night when the fins were up by 11, I was surprised by how tense i was with that kind of lead.
The defense is good but are arm tacklers, ok when can out muscle the opponent but like yesterday the y c get carried for 5 yards or ran through. I am sick of hearing Big Dope er Big O whine that if we have a qb we win that game. Well if qam had a real host there would be someone to listen 2. We lose our another tackle on the line n we still score 36 pts yet a "good qb" makes that drive to seal the win. What a douchebag. The int was unfortunate but under pressure again and off wr hands and still brought to within 3. Offense vs good teams esp our young growing offense can't make up for that ineptitude shown by the defense
I really don't care about power rankings, but because of the improved play of Tannehill and the offense overall, I certainly don't think the sky is falling on that side of the ball. The defense on the other hand is a concern because they just don't seem capable of making big plays in the fourth quarter of games which are close. While I expect this team to go 3-2 over the remainder of this season. I also expect the offense to continue to improve over the next five weeks, while it will be the defense that must improve if this team has any chance of going 4-1 and giving this team a legitimate chance of making the playoffs. I would love to see the team win out from here, but I just don't see them going into New England and winning that game.
The toe to toe part makes me happy because its true. Tannehill went toe to toe to Peyton and was just as good as him but the "Dolphins are one of the most dangerous teams in football right now." make me equally sad as its true but we cant find ways to win the close games against good teams. We are so close but so far. Honestly I dont see us making the playoffs, which is a shame because we have a playoff team
It sucks not winning those games...but 4 out of our 5 losses have come to some of the best/better teams in the NFL. I can live with that. We only have one more game of that type of competition in New England. I like our chances to finish 10-6
I agree. We should but every time I get my hopes up for what we should do Miami always lets me down. I won't believe it until I see it with Miami. We we finish 9-7 or 8-8 I wouldn't be surprise
Although the offense is putting up points, the defense is giving up points and the team is making just enough mistakes to be a .500 team. They have talent but they are not a top calibre team at this point. The reality is, every year there are injuries. Great teams overcome. One their SB years, the Patriots were so riddled in the secondary that they had to shift Troy Brown from WR to the nickel back. And, he played there in the playoffs and they still won it all. There's nothing amazing about it. This is the definition of mediocrity - dangerous against anyone. Vulnerable against anyone (but especially quality teams). And the reason the Dolphins are viewed that way and should continue to be viewed as a mediocre-barely-break-.500 team is because that is what their identity has been for decades at this point - other than an anomalous year hear and there. Until Miami's record is different from 6-5, until they are beating playoff teams handily in games those teams need to win, until they are 10-6 or 11-5 on a 5-6 game streak and ultimately until they are going deep into the playoffs - skepticism will and should remain.
The guy stole gloves from a kid. He's a despicable imbecile with a superiority complex. He should never be listened to under any circumstances.
Actually Ryan Tannehill stood toe-to-toe with Peyton Manning for three quarters in Denver, until the game entered the clutch and Manning outplayed him considerably from then on and won the game. In the 4th quarter, Manning was 9 for 10 for 95 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and a two-point conversion. Tannehill was 9 for 12 for 70 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Now, that's not to say Ryan Tannehill played poorly during that period, but he was no match for Manning, and until the Dolphins have a quarterback who can keep the Dolphins in similar scoring fests against quarterbacks like Manning, expect them to have trouble with teams with the likes of Manning (and Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford, etc.). From the start of the 4th quarter until there were a little more than 3 minutes left to play, the Dolphins went from being up 28-17, to being down 39-28. Those 22 unanswered points were due primarily to Peyton Manning's ability, but also to the lack of a counterpart on the Dolphins who could answer. There have been three games this year in which opposing teams' quarterbacks have beaten the Dolphins in the clutch, and those three games are the difference between this team's being a mediocre 6-5 and a highly competitive 9-2.
So even though we've been a top 5 defense all year, ranked by many as #1 overall for some time now, we should call them losers because they struggled against the most powerful offense in the NFL....at 4,000 feet and without the benefit of oxygen? Do we ignore the fact that Denver has lost at home twice in the past three years as well...or should all of those teams fire everyone as well? Your statement may be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on this forum.
There are going to be games in which your defense is unable to contend with the ability of a highly talented player(s) on the opposing team, and in those games it's going to be incumbent on your offense to outscore them. Right now the Dolphins don't have an offense that can outscore such a team on a regular basis. They might do it here or there, but they can't do it reliably. They just don't have that sort of firepower.
The defense was gassed in the second half. At least twice I saw us rush 3. Didn't pressure Manning nearly enough. Must've been what it felt like for Patriots in the first game...
Eff off, Fins Hipster. There is no way any sane, rational person attempts to pin this loss on Tannehill. The the games you speak of were ALL LOST BECAUSE THE DEFENSE COULDN'T MAKE A PLAY. Every. Damn. One. Stop Green Bay on third and like 15. Stop Green Bay on 4th. Keep Green Bay receiver in bounds, GAME OVER. And that's just the last series. Stop Detroit on a last second pass. Stop Denver at any point in second half. The defense is not elite. They just give everything away to good teams. They pad their stats against the junk teams, and get exposed against the goods ones, and yet geniuses like you sit here blaming Tannehill. I feel like I live in Bizarro World.
Defense plays one bad game and now you've forgotten how good they were for the first 10 games. Offense plays a good game and you forget how inconsistent they've been all year. That's unfortunate.
It wasn't a defensive issue when Michael Jordan would erupt for 20 points in a fourth quarter and will his team to victory. Here's what someone else wrote:
People like you have revisionist history Dan Marino did not and was not able to overcome a defense that couldnt stop anyone, remember the 48 to 45 loss to Jets or the 38-35 losses where we score a carp load of points but still lost? Brady doesnt win every shootout, mostly because the defense doesnt make them. Manning loses playoff games why? defense cant make a stop and they stop him. fact remains 28 points should be more than needed with a top ten defense, blaming Tannehill for not making up for the defenses failures is saying the defenses play was fine and Tannehill wasnt good