Since we're headed into the off-season it felt like a good time to reflect a little bit on how far our team has come across the past 4 months. We started the year historically bad and ended it by denying New England home field advantage in the playoffs. Pretty impressive if you ask me. I also saw an opportunity here though since Tennessee and Miami won back to back in Gillette stadium. Obviously Tennessee's key to victory was completely different from our path and there's not much to compare directly- our QB was better and so was our secondary. However, Tennessee ran all over NE, dominated the LOS and simply kept Brady off the field. Honestly, to my eyes, Miami was actually the better of the two teams, while Henry was the best overall player. I also bring this up because it sure feels like the closing of an era- New England has never lost twice in a row at home in Belichek's tenure...much less in two must-win games with massive playoff implications. Both games ended with desperation pitch-backs because New England simply had no other answers...they're not used to being in desperation mode and it clearly showed.
Miami played the better game and was the better team, but the fact that it was a playoff win gives it to Tennessee. And yeah Brady is done. The old QB's are struggling. Brees also looked totally washed up. He got outplayed by Kurt Cousins and, frankly, Taysom Hill. Rivers looks washed up, Eli is washed up, Ben got hurt and I doubt plays at a high level next year, even Rogers is showing some age. NFL is going to see the young QBs take full control of the league here, hopefully we can find ours. I feel very confident the Bills don't have one, though Darnold I think still has potential. This division is wide open for next year for the first time in decades.
And with almost no exception these are QB's that can scramble well. It's the changing of an era more than just a changing of the guard. The era of the pure pocket passer is coming to an end.
Question- does roughing the passer rules apply the same way outside the pocket? That's the only thing I see that would keep pocket passers at a premium.
He loses some protections but retains most of them: https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-video-rulebook/roughing-the-passer/
I'd say ours was the more impressive win. To go from a 43-0 drubbing at home with a depleted roster, and then to go into Foxborough with nothing on the line but our pride and to beat the Patriots in a divisional match-up, with the Patriots playing to win... it was a truly incredible result. The Titans have been impressive this season on multiple occasions and many people picked them to win, or at least have a decent chance. The Miami game? I didn't see anyone giving us even half a chance. Yet we marched in there and beat them anyway. That's what was most impressive to me this season. We beat some decent teams and beat them in a decent manner. I've been more convinced with this year's Dolphins win than with many wins from recent years. It often felt like we just managed to steal many victories; that we 'got away with' them. The Dolphins this year, although lacking in talent, seemed so much more ready to play and to win - perhaps mostly because of fewer mistakes and penalties - either way, this year has felt a lot better than expected!
Funny, I feel the opposite about the QB in our division. I see Sam as maxed out more or less, Allen isnt great now but has a high ceiling at least IMO though I'm not sure he reaches it.
I've got a different take on Allen. Told people last year that we were going to be battling it out with Allen for the next ten years. He just has IT. Gase is going to eff Darnold up so bad he won't be able to stop seeing ghosts when he's done with football.
From about the 2nd game they started in 2018 I've been saying that both Darnold and Allen are either busts or at best average, and 2019 did nothing to change my mind. In both cases it's the lack of sound decision making that I doubt will ever be corrected. And if neither "busts" they'll probably remain the starting QB's for their respective teams for a good while (at least 4-5 years). So I'm totally happy they're the QB's for the Bills and Jets and that we'll likely be facing them for many years to come. Oh.. and with Brady's demise and us possibly getting our franchise QB in 2020, the Dolphins might soon have the best QB in the division. Would be totally refreshing if that happens (still can't get Brees out of my mind!).
I wouldn't bet against your Gase hypothesis, but Allen looks like trash. He will make a few "whoa" plays but he is super inconsistent and a badly inaccurate thrower of the football. Against good defenses he will not put up points, and I don't see that improving. His play in the fourth quarter against the Texans (an Ok, not great) defense was atrocious. IMO showing us why he didn't get a D1 scholarship. He can't just get by on physical talent anymore. I am not scared of him at all.
I was super excited for our win but let's be real... TN beat them at home in the playoffs. That's all that matters. I credit Baltimore that destroyed NE and killed their sense of invincibility.
I find myself far more concerned about Allen than I do Darnold. Frankly I didn't like either coming out, but then I did like Rosen so there's that. Allen throws the ball much better than he showed with that sub 55% completion percentage in college and he is a pretty big athletic qb. Darnold on the other hand is still meh to me and he has an uphill battle.
I want to add their pick 6 was more impressive because the Titans kind of forced him into it through their play leading up to it. Ours Brady had two wide open WR and for some reason just threw a duck between both. It really should have been an easy completion and ended up as a TD for us. I'll take it every time, dont get me wrong, but it wasnt really anything we did. He wasnt even heavily pressured.
Devante Parker and Geiseke (I can never spell this mans name right bleh) want me to add in that they helped a lot. You're 100% right though.
Would have to say Miami's win was more impressive...4-11 team that hadn't won there in like 11 straight years, against the #2 seed in the AFC? Big time...insane. The point line was like 16.5 in favor of the Pats, and the Dolphins had lost 43-0 already this year, to them. The point line in the Titans game was only 5.
True, but people would like to think the Patriots overlooked us or something. I dont believe that myself because home field was at stake, but they definitely didnt put out an A+ effort by typical Patriot standards. I do think Titans should get credit for going in there and winning an incredibly tough game on the road, in the playoffs, in weather that should benefit the team with the better defense.
Ya they wanted to win that game, period. Miami bumped them down from #1 to #2 seed a few years back with a week 17 win at Miami, and you KNOW Belichick remembered that. No way they overlooked the Dolphins. He just got outcoached.
I agree with you other than the Darnold vs. Allen part. I think its the opposite. To my eyes Darnold doesn't have it (and Gase's tutilage will probably ensure that his career is ruied) and Allen is already well ahead of him in his development.
This is a difficult question. Both wins were extremely impressive. As pointed out earlier, Miami hadn’t won in Foxborough since Christ was a Corporal and I was his Drill Sergeant. A depleted roster, going into the Patriots’ house of invincibility and beating the #2 seed? Pretty flipping impressive, even if New England stupidly overlooked us in their presumed road to a first round bye. Tennessee’s win however...granted, these aren’t your daddy’s Patriots but they are still that. Chris Berman used to say no one circled the wagons like the Buffalo Bills. Same goes true for the Patriots in the playoffs. That team is usually one of the BETTER teams but not even they were prepared for what was about to steamroll them. To go into Foxborough as an underdog in a donor field game...and defeat the defending Super Bowl Champions...beat them like a red headed step child was priceless. I can’t say which one was but I can say that both were GLORIOUS!!!!
mia hands down. a team with no talent winning in NE vs a team with some talent dragging a medicore QB to a win....... no talent team over no talent QB anyday.
I would pick Miami. It was the perfect ending to the 80s sports comedy that was the 2019 Dolphins Season.