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Thoughts on the Dolphins Panthers Game

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by KeyFin, Nov 28, 2021.

  1. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    If you didn't see the game, the Fins took the lead early on a blocked punt at the 1 yard line and promptly shifted to a hyper-aggressive version of the cover zero. Cam got his *$^ handed to him out there but on the 2nd or 3rd series, he evaded pressure and completed a deep pass that the Panthers took all the way to our 7 yard line.

    I mention that play because it was the only highlight for the Panthers all day long- the defense absolutely destroyed them the rest of the day.

    In fact, I'd say that the defense looked better this afternoon than they did against Baltimore a few weeks ago when this win streak kicked off. On some plays, they collapsed the pocket through sheer numbers, then the next snap they'd rush 4 and still generate pressure. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around, we were lining up in prevent with a standard, vanilla rush and still getting sacks left and right.

    Folks, this defense is LEGIT. As in, we could take on just about anybody LEGIT.

    On offense, Tua started a little slow but quickly adapted. Waddle set a rookie record today for catches and we also had a decent run game as well. Even Preston Williams contributed on a screen pass for an important 3rd and short- the offense actually looked good later in the game. The offensive line...ehh...I'd give them a C+ on the day. Still a ways to go but we certainly had moments of success.

    By the way, that RB we just picked up- I forget his name, but the kid runs very hard and made several explosive plays. If we figure out the run game down the stretch, he could be a very important piece. Great instincts, great cuts and looks like he has fresh legs. Excellent pickup.

    Today has us on a 4-game win streak with the Giants, BYE and Jets the next three weeks. Then it's onto the Saints. If this defense continues to show out like they have been, I see no reason why we're not on a 7-game win streak once we face off with the Titans in 5 weeks. We beat the Titans and the Pats at home, and just like that we're a playoff team.

    I don't like getting ahead of myself because like I've said here many times over the years, Dan Marino cussed me out as a teenager for asking if it was the year the Fins went all the way. So don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying we'll win out or that we have some gimmies in the near future...but this Dolphins team is starting to look special.

    Even the announcers were talking about the Fins playoff chances in the 4th quarter because it doesn't look like a team that can be beaten easily- this D is really coming together in ways that even last year's squad couldn't match. So with 5 games left on the year, and five really winnable games, I'm starting to believe that this team is going to shock a lot of people this season.
     
  2. Dol-Fan Dupree

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

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    This was the team I thought they would be all season
     
  3. mlb1399

    mlb1399 Well-Known Member

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    It’s starting to look like Grier hit a grand slam with this draft. Phillips had 2 sacks, Holland a pick and Waddle had an incredible day. I think Liam can shine with more time and playing on the right side.

    Regardless of record, which definitely matters, this is fun football to watch.

    IF we can field a good OL next year, I’m excited to see what this team can do.
     
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  4. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I really think we'll be 9-7 facing NE. Have to be sober about NE though, that's likely a loss for us if NE is playing for the #1 seed. But any given Sunday right? Great win, Tua showing signs he can be a franchise QB, and that defense! I know it was Cam (way overrated) Newton, but still.. with a good defense we might just make the playoffs.
     
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  5. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

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    Really happy with today's game. More than anything, i'm glad that we were in control and not in a dogfight. Tua looked confident and Waddle earned his selection on the all-rookie team alongside Phillips and Holland. The coaching didn't even bother me other than a couple of rushes when it looked like Tua could have picked the Panties' D. I had to leave at the end of the third quarter but i'm officially hyped for the first time since week one.
     
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  6. JJ_79

    JJ_79 Well-Known Member

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    There are a lot of players that are coming around Holland seems to be the best player drafted in recent years, AVG is returning to form, Smythe is becoming a factor in the passing game, Tua becoming the Samoan Assasin, the running game becoming a factor, D-Line is looking scary. I just hope Tua stays healthy, it looks like we really have something cooking in Dade county, it‘s been a while….
     
  7. Berezo

    Berezo Well-Known Member

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    The big ? Is.... where was it during 1-7????
     
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  8. JJ_79

    JJ_79 Well-Known Member

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    Watson talk, Tua out, Raekwon Davis out, players developing (Holland, Phillips, Smythe, AVG) and biggest of all our O-Line, thing is Flores didn’t lose the team and know we’re cooking, let’s see how the season plays out.
     
  9. Rouk

    Rouk Well-Known Member

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    My biggest takeaway from this game was it was mainly dolphins fans at the stadium for once. Aside from that i wish this defense was played in the first half of the season. The Oline is still embarrassing. I still hate the redzone wildcat. Lindsay was a nice change of pace from gaskins.
     
  10. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

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    I'm giving Liam a pass too. He is the player who is being asked to do far more than he is capable of.
     
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  11. Deus ex dolphin

    Deus ex dolphin Well-Known Member

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    I'll give you that, but Grier can't build a decent OL -and that is a fatal flow for a GM. He still needs to go and Miami can take their chances with a new GM. At this point, I can live with trying to succeed with Tua and Flores in 2022.
     
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  12. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    The line today had it's moments- they even worked in some successful stunts in the run game to create space. So I wouldn't count these young guys out yet- they simply started way earlier than they should have if they went to a more established team. They're getting great experience though and I have a feeling that by this time next season, the line will be above average by NFL standards.

    Not great, mind you, not elite...but I'm seeing small improvements each week.
     
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  13. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I made a post about a month ago saying that we were close to turning everything around and I pointed out that we had several losses in there that last year's squad would have won. It was the little stuff that got us to 1-7...a blown coverage, a missed block, etc. We were competitive in most of those losses though and a few might come back to haunt us.

    For instance, the overtime loss to the Raiders where Parker should have got the PI call in the end zone. It sucks the ref didn't call it, but it sucked even more that Parker didn't catch the darn ball. We've had a few losses like that where one play could have flipped it to a W. We just didn't have enough leadership at the time and the confidence to close out games. At least that's fixed though!
     
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  14. Dorfdad

    Dorfdad Well-Known Member

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    Was a great game for us we beat another team we were supposed to. I believe the defense against Baltimore was better against a better team!

    all and all the defense has stepped up but it’s to late this team **** the bed on that seven game losing streak. They have no shot at a playoff spot so don’t entertain the thought.

    we play a few hard (winning record) teams these last games and we would have to win out and get luck to sneak in.

    I still believe this team needs changes and the more we win Ross is going to think it’s ok to keep the same organization as it is and I do not want Grier here and I want Flores to get some real coordinators!
     
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  15. hitman8

    hitman8 Well-Known Member

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    Believe it or not, I believe the most impressive thing today was the offensive play calling. We came in with a perfect gameplan to tear up the Panthers bend but don't break defense and executed it to perfection.

    It was a balanced attack and we took what the defense gave us.
     
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  16. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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  17. RGF

    RGF THE FINSTER Club Member

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    It was Fuller not getting the PI call against the Raiders. And because of the actual mauling/non-call it was almost impossible for any receiver to catch that pass .
     
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  18. Berezo

    Berezo Well-Known Member

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    This is relevant as ever....the Braves just did it in baseball. DO NOT, underestimate getting hot at the right time...it's not impossible. Believe and have some fun!
     
  19. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

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    Rare praise from a national source:
    NFL Week 12 grades: Resurgent Dolphins get an 'A+' for blowout win, Tom Brady and Buccaneers get an 'A'
    Here are the Week 12 grades for each team

    By John Breech

    1 hr ago15 min read




    [​IMG]
    Through the first eight weeks of the 2021 season, the Miami Dolphins were viewed as one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL, but after an undefeated November, the resurgent Dolphins have suddenly scraped their way back into playoff contention.

    The Dolphins put a giant exclamation point on their undefeated month with a 33-10 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and this victory might have been their most impressive one yet. The Dolphins played nearly perfect football in all three phases of the game: They got big plays from their offense, they got big plays from their special teams and they got a dominating performance from their defense.

    Basically, this was the Dolphins team everyone thought we were going to get in Week 1 and after seemingly going through an identity crisis through the first eight weeks of the season, the Dolphins seem to have finally figured out who they are.

    Tua Tagovailoa seems to be getting more comfortable every week and a big reason for that is because of his chemistry with Jaylen Waddle. Tua threw for 230 yards in the game with 137 of those going to Waddle, including the play you see below, which ended up being a 57-yard gain.

    That pass set up a 3-yard TD run by Myles Gaskin in the second quarter and even that short play was indicative of how much Miami has improved on offense.

    The Dolphins proved that they're going to empty the playbook every week and the Panthers found that out the hard way when Gaskin scored on a wildcat play.

    The Dolphins seem to have an energy right now that they lacked through the first two months of the season and that energy was on display early in the game. After the Panthers were forced to punt on their opening possession, Duke Riley blocked the kick for the Dolphins and Justin Coleman returned it for the game's first score.


    The rest of the team seemed to feed off the energy that the special teams touchdown created.

    Defensively, the Dolphins absolutely suffocated the Panthers' offense. Not only did they tally five sacks, but they also picked off three passes. If you want to know what Cam Newton's day was like, just watch the play below.

    That was one of three sacks from Jaelan Phillips.

    The swarming Dolphins defense didn't let the Panthers anywhere near the end zone after the first quarter.


    [​IMG]
    The Dolphins still have a long road to travel if they want to make the playoffs, but it doesn't feel as impossible as it did four weeks ago. Although their 5-7 record barely has them in the playoff conversation, there's no reason to think that they won't be able to improve upon that. Over their next three games, the Dolphins will face the Giants, Jets and Saints, which are all winnable. If they can come away with three wins, that would push them to 8-7 and at that point, anything could happen.

    Alright, let's get to the grades for every game from Week 12. If you want to check out the grades for the six teams that played on Thanksgiving, then be sure to click here.

    Miami 33-10 over Carolina
    F
    Panthers
    Cam Newton's return to Carolina has gone from feel-good story to disaster. In his second start of the year, Newton looked completely lost against the Dolphins every time he dropped back to pass. The Panthers QB completed just 5 of 21 passes with two interceptions before getting benched in the second half. Of course, you can't pin all the blame for the loss on Newton. Carolina's defense was bad. Their special teams was bad. Everything was bad, which is how they ended up with an "F".
    A+
    Dolphins
    The Dolphins have been one of the NFL's best teams during the month of November and they capped off the month with arguably their most impressive performance of the year. This game was a defensive masterpiece for the Dolphins, who picked off three passes while holding the Panthers to just 198 yards of total offense, marking just the second time in the past three years that the Dolphins have held a team under 200 yards. Jaelan Phillips played a big part in Miami's dominating defensive performance with three of the Dolphins' five sacks. Offensively, Tua Tagovailoa was nearly perfect, completing 27 of 31 passes for 230 yards and a TD and most of those passing yards went to Jaylen Waddle, who finished with 137 receiving yards and a TD on nine catches. The Dolphins have slowly worked their way into the playoff conversation, which is kind of crazy for a team that was once 1-7.
    Panthers-Dolphins grades by John Breech (Love the grades? Hate the grades? Let him know on Twitter.)

    https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...lowout-win-tom-brady-and-buccaneers-get-an-a/
     
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2021
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  20. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    To play devil's advocate here, it was Cam Newton (always given us trouble), Lamar Jackson (a nightmare for any defense), and Joe Flacco (another name we could never beat). News columns today are saying the Ravens are clearly the best team in football at the moment, so yeah....funny how mainstream forgets about them getting embarrassed a few weeks ago.

    You know I'm an optimist and I'm trying like mad to reel in expectations, but the schedule is very favorable. The Titans worry me, but without Henry and the way we'll get after our boy RT, that could actually be a rout. And I know NE is a different team from week 1, but I believe wholeheartedly that Flores will have our defense ready.

    I also really like what we're doing on offense at the moment- it's very hard to stop Tua with these short, quick passes that are letting receivers run after the catch. Some might call it boring or basic, but as long as the chains keep moving and we get a few shots downfield each game, I am 100% on board with what we're doing while we figure out the line (and the WR's, and the RB's, etc).

    As you've said many times, RT couldn't overcome adversity, while Tua certainly is. And what gets me excited is thinking about when Tua does have a decent line and does have reliable starting receivers, etc. This offense could really flourish in a very short period of time, and it feels like we're hitting our stride at the perfect time of the season.
     
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  21. Hooligan

    Hooligan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    It's that time of the year again when Dolphin fans are warily eyeing the standings and dreaming of Christmas presents and the play-offs.
    Realistically there's only one wildcard slot still up for grabs and a half dozen teams in the hunt with a better record or equal.
    Winning out suddenly seems doable.
    Playing NE at Hard Rock might have a SB feel to it.
     

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