I am being honest. It is a preseason game where the entrenched starters are playing with the hope of not getting hurt. The playcalling more for seeing how certain players react to situations rather than actually trying to be successful. I would even say if Miami was dominated to label it as a grain of salt. However I did see things differently. There was little disappointing in the first half. Tannehill played well. Offensive line was about what we thought, though Turner did not have a good game AT ALL. All the runningbacks looked good. The receivers looked good. The starting defense played well without OV or Grimes playing. So what one guy dropped a pass, there was also a guy in Cams face that made him throw it a little early. I came away more encouraged after this game.
No one should predict anything based on preseason. Didn't we go 4-0 in preseason a couple times recently? It is "just the preseason." Basically meaningless, except for figuring out position battles and such.
I hope the starters and vets start to unite and go probowl intensity on the preseason..rules need to be changed, players union needs to step up, and starters reps need to be capped..its ridiculous to see these vets in there getting 25 reps..meaningless.
I think it depends on what you're looking to do. I've not noticed any of the 3-4/5-2 looks in preseason (I very easily could have missed it). I think what we've seen a lot of is Miami playing a lot of 4-3 under/over fronts with the SLB (usually McCain) walked up right on the LOS. I think that's pretty standard, and when they do it in an over front, that's their best base defense as it allows Wake to play on the edge uncovered or 1-on-1 with a TE. When they run under fronts, it minimizes Wake's ability to turn the corner; he's strong enough to hold point against the run, but it's taking away what he's best at (a flaw in Coyle's ability to scheme). As far as the true 3-4 looks (I'll call it a 3-4 as there aren't 5 down linemen) what we saw last year was Miami removing Philip Wheeler and playing all 3 DTs. I think if, well, when we see it is more likely, we'll see Miami add Jordan Phillips as a true 0-technique or shaded NT flanked by Suh and Mitchell (maybe Shelby/Fede potentially) with OV and Wake as stand-up OLBs. In that case, IIRC from last year, Miami used it as more of a run-stopping defense. I think in that case, you want OV on the field. The problem is when you start getting crazy, which Coyle is apt to do, and blitzing and stunting and dropping Wake and OV in coverage. It's bastardizing both of their games as they aren't good at dropping in zone (see Kansas City debacle from week 3 last year; worst gameplan Coyle's cooked up as the Dolphins' DC). I think you could just as easily swap OV for Chris McCain in that scenario. If you're using it as a base defense and want pressure, just based on how mediocre McCain looked as a DE last night when he wasn't stunting (when he was stunting, he got pressures) I'd take OV at this point. He's more stout and sets the edge better. The plus side of that 3-4 look, if Coyle does it right, is that you can still slide the front to where Suh is playing a 3-technique, as opposed to a true 5 or 4i, where he can still do what he does best. Create havoc. What was interesting to me last night, I can't remember the exact play (I think it was the 3rd down draw to Tolbert that Reshad Jones stopped) Miami had a 4-man line with Suh lined up in a 6 or 7 technique over the tackle and Wake out at a 9 (one of the few times we've seen him lined up that far wide that I can remember). I was waiting for some sort of crazy stunt like we saw from Suh in my defensive preview thread when he was with Detroit last year, but both he and Wake just rushed their lanes. I do think when Miami presents that look in the regular season, we'll see a lot of twists and stunts with Wake rushing the guard. Unless it's on Jahri Evans, there's probably not a guard in the league that's going to pass-block Wake 1-on-1, especially with him coming at that angle. The defense as a whole is somewhat of a mystery. For example, two years ago when Carolina had a sick defense, they were one of the most simplistic teams in the league almost reminiscent of Miami's defenses under Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt. I think Miami could do very well following that formula with the personnel they have this year. But, one of Coyle's strengths is finding mismatches for his pass-rushers using odd sub-packge looks, Bear looks, and shifting his defensive front. The problem is, is that he either A) accompanies it with double A gap blitz looks that don't work, B) does it too frequently or C) gets too cute with his blitzes and puts his primary rush players, Wake and OV, in bad spots having to cover. There are some double A gap looks that work; he just ****s around with them too much. If he's able to scale all those looks back and trusts the defense from base looks and nickel looks, they'll be a lot better for it. It'd be a dream to have Teryl Austin, Detroit's DC, running this group.
Detroit went 4-0 and then went 0-16. I'm not talking about wins and losses. What I'm talking about is stuff we saw last season, what we saw here again against Carolina and what I bet we're going to see again this year. You don't think that's an issue? Of course you do. It's "just the preseason" right up until it's "just the regular season" and then what are you going to do? Write it off? How?
For me, all preseason accomplishes is to let me know where the offense is performing, so far Imo, no one can be unhappy with the offense even running vanilla plays. Tannehill really does look like he has upped his game. ST, let us face the fact, Sturgis probably should not make this team. Landry was so solid as the Returner it will take a huge performance to earn a roster slot as "the returner" over him Longshot players who are biting Otherwise, wins and losses..do not want to go winless, otherwise they do not matter..just no injuries!
Everyone's talking about the offense, but the telling tale to me was the defense. Philbin and Coyle wanted the defensive starters to have 15-20 snaps before substituting the second stringers. As I recall, the starting defense played 5 series in order to get those snaps. (the offense played 3). Translation? We have a beast of a defense that's going to wreak havoc this season that's going to cause the likes of Brady, Luck, Romo and Manning to **** their pants!
I saw Moore complete a 13 play drive for a TD where he escaped pressure and went 4 for 4 on 3rd downs. Not sure what game some of you were watching. He did throw an INT on a great play by the DB, it happens.
Who cares if Matt Moore can makes plays against second and third stringers? Moore is nothing special, and costs way more than we should be paying him as a backup.
I actually thought MBT played very well....was at the game and their is a noticeable difference with how the ball jumps out of his hand compared to Matt Moore. Matt Moore looked horrible...that pick you could see it coming a mile away...
Dude..trust me..it wasnt a great play by the CB...lol. You could see the CB break on the ball before Matt even threw the ball, soon as he threw it Im like...ughhh dumb throw
