3 Yards Per Carry - Week in Review Part I - Episode 1.21 by CK (Every week 3 Yards Per Carry will be posting on Dolphins Maven a series of "Week in Review," pieces aimed at reviewing and supplementing the material shared by CK, Alf, and Simon on their weekly podcast.) Introduction and Useless Banter The 5 Reasons Sports Network organized a WATCH PARTY for the Dolphins-Panthers game at the Texas Roadhouse located at 3241 SW 160th Ave, Miramar, FL 33027 this last Friday. If you missed it, sucks for you! Speaking of shameless plugs, CK went on to personally thank Funky Buddha Brewery for sending a crowler of their seasonal LANDRY'S TEARS brew. So bitter, so sour, so salty... Simon has no idea what a Southwestern Egg Roll is. And he's not a big fan of the bar foods favored by CK and Alf. Unrelatedly, Las Vegas has handicapped Simon as the overwhelming favorite in the oft-talked about, never seriously considered, 3YPC Combine. Curious decision by the odds-makers! Who is this older-than-expected, possibly-perverted man (s/o @mikeyrolo22) lurking behind Jakeem Grant in, as Simon puts it, a "pseudo sexual" manner? We tackle this topic, head-on. Hello, Miss Ink! (it's not a tattoo parlor, though Simon thinks it should be) http://miss-ink.com/
3 Yards Per Carry - Week in Review Part II - Episode 1.21 by CK (Every week 3 Yards Per Carry will be posting on Dolphins Maven a series of "Week in Review," pieces aimed at reviewing and supplementing the material shared by CK, Alf, and Simon on their weekly podcast.) Quarterbacks and Skill Positions It only took us about 8 minutes for us to remember that we're actually doing a Miami Dolphins football podcast. I think that's a record. (0:08:30) RYAN TANNEHILL is back. How did he look? What about his leadership? Alf believes that if he had only completed that pass (inches!!) to Danny Amendola, the entire narrative from the Buccaneers game changes. Simon doesn't think Tannehill has been "the great raconteur" (/British). Alf notes that Tannehill has receptive help in his endeavor to be a great leader on the team. Two players practice, "like nobody else," Jakeem Grant and Danny Amendola. CK believes that Tannehill's sudden emergence as a leader stems from: 1) according to our sources, an explicit directive by senior Dolphins management, and 2) the fact he's got nothing left to lose. As Simon goes on to point out, Head Coach Adam Gase and Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains have alluded to their telling Ryan that they have confidence in him, so it's time to cut loose on the field. It's now...or never. (0:15:08) Discussion about the SKILL POSITIONS. Wide receivers, tight ends, running backs. Albert Wilson's routes looked crispy as a McDonald's Coke. Jakeem Grant caught that G-D ball. (0:23:30) KEEP OR KICK RUNDOWN - WIDE RECEIVERS Will DeVante Parker be on the Dolphins by mid-season 2018? Alf believes that if he hadn't broken his middle finger (giggle), he might have already been traded. MarQueis Gray keeps taking little injuries, getting his thigh wrapped, etc. according to Alf. But he's one that CK wants to keep an eye on because his versatility makes for a perfect complement with Mike Gesicki, who can also be moved around. Versatile players complement other versatile players. Wide receiver Isaiah Ford is the backup slot behind Danny Amendola, and we all like him to make the team.
3 Yards Per Carry - Week in Review Part III - Episode 1.21 by CK (Every week 3 Yards Per Carry will be posting on Dolphins Maven a series of "Week in Review," pieces aimed at reviewing and supplementing the material shared by CK, Alf, and Simon on their weekly podcast.) Offensive and Defensive Lines (0:18:12) Let's have an OFFENSIVE (line) discussion. Andy Benoit of SI.com made a fantastic point (among many fantastic points) that the offensive line's pass protection, more than any one other factor (including Jay Cutler), has limited Adam Gase's offense in Miami. (Shameless) We told you in our last podcast (Episode 1.20) not to buy the narratives about the defensive line dominating and the offensive line struggling in training camp. When they got into the real game against the Buccaneers, the offensive line gave the quarterbacks enough time to "peel an orange" in the backfield (Adam Gase), and the defensive line disappeared. So much for training camp narratives. (0:20:35) KEEP OR KICK RUNDOWN - OFFENSIVE LINE CK really likes backup right tackle Eric Smith. Says he's nasty, goes all-out every play. He and Ted Larsen are similar that way. Both players can have questionable pass protection, which makes you wonder if both should shift inside with Ted Larsen at backup center and Eric Smith at right guard. But Alf points out that his snaps in practice keep decreasing. (0:25:15) "Let's flip it defensively" (/British) which is Simon's way of saying let's talk a bit about the DEFENSIVE LINE. While we are right to blame the defensive line for not dominating in the Buccaneers game, CK does not believe the focus should be primarily on them as he saw "run fit" (/football) issues with the linebackers and safeties. On the sudden signing of defensive tackle Kendall Langford, CK points out that his three years of experience with the Rams on the same defensive line as fellow Dolphins William Hayes and Robert Quinn, playing in a scheme very similar to Miami's "Wide-9" (/football), means that he should be able to fit in immediately and show younger players exactly what is to be expected of them in this scheme. (0:27:48) KEEP OR KICK RUNDOWN - DEFENSIVE LINE (0:30:25) KEEP OR KICK RUNDOWN - LINEBACKERS Jerome Baker clearly stood out to all of us, even though it is hard to stand out as a linebacker. It's no wonder he got the promotion to 1st string in "Base" (/football). (Prediction Time) When the Dolphins bring out "Base" defense this year, the linebackers will be Kiko Alonso, Raekwon McMillan, and Jerome Baker. When they bring out "Nickel" (/football) defense, the two linebackers will be Kiko Alonso and Raekwon McMillan. However, by the end of the year, those two linebackers will be Jerome Baker & Raekwon McMillan (BAEKWON), and the sooner they can get there the better, as those two looked the best they've ever looked when they played together at OHIO STATE. (Simon) Raekwon McMillan's performance "a concern...but not an issue".
3 Yards Per Carry - Week in Review Part IV - Episode 1.21 by CK (Every week 3 Yards Per Carry will be posting on Dolphins Maven a series of "Week in Review," pieces aimed at reviewing and supplementing the material shared by CK, Alf, and Simon on their weekly podcast.) Defensive Backs & Minkah Fitzpatrick (0:34:50) Now we get into the DEFENSIVE BACKS We present, without comment: (Shameless) We're not trying to "big ourselves up," (/British) but we did tell you that Bobby McCain was very likely winning the competition for the second corner position in "Base" defense by virtue of the fact Cordrea Tankersley and Tony Lippett have been so disappointing that a player (Torry McTyer) not previously thought to be involved in that competition had suddenly and seemingly taken the lead in practice. McCain has played on the outside in "Base" before, played well, as evidenced by various analytics, and they know what they have in him. According to our sources inside the building, "we love our five, we don't know if we have six". Eep. (Prediction Time) Tony Lippett has fallen so hard, so fast, that he will have trouble even making the team. (Prediction Time) We also believe that Jalen Davis will make the team as the backup slot specialist at corner. Torry McTyer let up a few catches in the game but he actually looked alright, overall. He was assignment sound. The only issue was, he let up a catch to a guy with a very big frame, and you got the sense it might have highlighted some of Torry's limitations due to his thin frame. When Jakeem Grant talked about the fastest men on the team (all of which Jakeem swears he would beat in a race), he listed Torry McTyer among them. Cordrea Tankersley, on the other hand, was not assignment sound. On at least one play, he blew an assignment which ultimately cost the Dolphins a touchdown during the game. Cornell Armstrong "bit" in this first game. He had some great tackles. You have to believe you can get some of the coverage issues cleaned up over time but aggressiveness can't always be given or taught and he has it. (0:42:55) MINKAH-PALOOZA Did you see the range Minkah Fitzpatrick displayed on his breakup of a pass targeting Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin along the left sidelines? Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke correctly pointed out that Minkah had some "run fit" issues, notably on a big touchdown run. It bears minding. Matt Burke also pointed out that when he leaves every night there are usually two cars still at headquarters, that of Head Coach Adam Gase, and that of Minkah Fitzpatrick. CK rightly points out that Minkah played from the slot about 70 percent of the time in Nick Saban's defense at Alabama, and that it was the most important role in that defense. So now with the Dolphins looking to move to a secondary that features Bobby McCain on the outside and Minkah Fitzpatrick in the slot, that allows the latter to play the position that made him famous. It also could help Miami's run defense from "Nickel," which was among the worst in the NFL in 2017. (0:46:05) KEEP OR KICK RUNDOWN - DEFENSIVE BACKS
3 Yards Per Carry - Week in Review Part V - Episode 1.21 by CK (Every week 3 Yards Per Carry will be posting on Dolphins Maven a series of "Week in Review," pieces aimed at reviewing and supplementing the material shared by CK, Alf, and Simon on their weekly podcast.) Dolphins-Panthers Preview & Wrap-Up Lots and lots and lots and lots of podcasts on the 5 Reasons Sports Network. (0:51:15) Dolphins-Panthers Match-Ups: LT Laremy Tunsil vs. RDE Mario Addison - Not many know, but Addison is actually one of the most efficient and effective pass rush specialists of the last decade. A lot this year depends on whether Tunsil steps up to meet the expectations of a high 1st round pick, and this will be an excellent opportunity to show how far he's come. RDE Robert Quinn vs. LT Matt Kalil - We have heard quite a bit about Quinn's dominance in a practice setting, but he only got a grand total of three pass rush snaps against the Buccaneers to try and show his stuff. He should get a lot more playing time against the Panthers and we believe it is time for him to show off the $12 million asset Miami acquired from the Rams. WR Jakeem Grant vs. CB Donte Jackson - This is more of a fascination than a critical match-up as far as implications for the regular season go, however these two players have a history. Jackson was among the fastest men in college football to come out in this year's NFL Draft, and Jakeem is among the fastest men in the NFL It will be interesting to see if Donte can try and get some revenge for being embarrassed by Jakeem in the 2015 Texas Bowl. (0:56:00) Question & Answer Time! Simon doesn't even know what French Toast is! (/British) (/British) (/British) Clearly the answer is French Toast, Pancakes, and Waffles, unless you're going for Chicken & Waffles, which could potentially bump to the front of the line. (Simon) "Nothing you deep fry should be available to eat in the morning" (OK, now I see where Vegas is coming from on the 3YPC Combine odds) Which position is more concerning, "Sam" (/football) linebacker, or "Boundary" (/football) corner? If they're going to play Minkah Fitzpatrick at slot and Bobby McCain on the outside, then I think we are more concerned with the "Sam" linebacker position. But if not, then I think we are more concerned about the corner spot. Simon and Alf believe that Kenny Stills would be the most likely wide receiver to crack 1,000 yards receiving. CK thinks it would be Albert Wilson. Steve Sykes, "one of life's good people" (GET WELL SOON!!!), asks how DeVante Parker's injury will affect his ultimate fate. Simon is really not sure about his longevity with this team, and both he and CK question his mental makeup. Alf likes to point out that according to his sources, Parker has two important fans on the team: Adam Gase and Ryan Tannehill. Should he lose one of them... It's a wrap! Until next week!
