Dolphins@Bengals notes and opinions
76 replies
DisgustipatesubscriberOPThis really felt like it was going to be like the last several games this year, where they kick the **** out of an opponent, let them back into the game, and trade an escalating series big plays and ****-ups until coming down on the losing side.
I think the Dolphins got the worst end of refereeing this week than they did any replacement referee'd game. They consistently had close, but I think pretty clearly correct calls go against them.
I'm pretty confident now Ryan Tannehill isn't going to be a bust. I'm not sure where he's going to end up in terms of career path beyond that, but the upside is pretty damn good and he's really far ahead of the curve on his development.
Reggie Bush needs to be benched until he's completely healthy. I don't care if you need to give Lamar Miller the bulk of the workload and start treating Jorvorskie Lane like a fullback, but get his ass off the field. He doesn't have the physical advantage he needs to be a good football player if he's playing hurt.
Jorvorskie Lane I don't think can be really blamed too much for his fumble. He was taking care of the ball reasonably well but got a helmet right into it.
He's still a bit raw as a fullback, but he's got a lot of upside. He'll throw some nasty blocks, and he's looking like a solid weapon in the passing game.
There's really nothing sadder to me than Charles Clay as of late. He's got mental issues he needs to work out. He still looks like he could be a really good player, he just needs to work this out.
Hartline and Bess weren't phenomenal this week, but if 49 and 59-yard performances are considered "down" weeks for you, you're in pretty good shape.
I'm waiting for the first person to assign blame for Jake Long on the uncovered linemen play. Or the stunt Incognito didn't pick up. I know he gave up a pressure, but I don't think there was really anything else.
Pass protection overall was pretty good. Run blocking I don't have any condemnation or superlatives for, the backs didn't really distinguish themselves on their own merits.
Kevin Coyle I think deserves more recognition than he has gotten. The defense has been impressive, and he's done a lot of good stuff scheme-wise in my mind.
I was disappointed by the run defense, but is that really all that reasonable given the opposing backs averaged 3.85 yards a carry? Bernard Scott was performing well before he injured, but was that as much as change of pace back they weren't really expecting, or did he uncover some secret?
The linebackers had an all around solid game, but probably a step back for all of them. It's really hard to complain about Burnett, Misi, and Dansby this year, but someone invariably will.
Olivier Vernon I think played more in a 2-point stance than a 3-point stance this week. Mostly still in passing situations, but they threw in some 3-3 and 3-4 Nickel looks this week. They also seemed to play with Cameron Wake's alignment pre-snap more than normal as a nice way to overcome the Bengals quality pass protection.
Say what you want about the cornerbacks, but no one is getting their asses kicked pretty much ever. Week in and week out they're playing hard and putting their hands on balls. Sean Smith was up and down vs. AJ Green, but I think it's hard to say he came out a loser. It's the same with Fitzgerald the week before.
Nolan Carroll and Jimmy Wilson also I think responded pretty well in having their numbers called.
Reshad Jones is playing really well, and it's hard to act like it's a fluke at this point. He's good in the box, but it seems like every week he's got a play where he anticipates a run or a short pass extremely well and blasts a guy from a deep position. Also, he's getting his hands on balls.
I criticized the knee-jerk reaction to Carpenter, but I think it's about time you let him walk.
shourightNew MemberI don't think Reggie Bush's problems are physical. How can you hesitate and dance around behind the line even when all your team needs is 10 yards over three plays to win a game?
I agree regarding Clay. I still believe he can be a valuable weapon for us.
Pandarillaforum_veteranCoyle does deserve a lot of credit. He's tightening up the secondary nicely.
We should be making 3rd and shorts easy.
Hartline and Bess are getting better at improvising when Tanne scrambles.
Not a spectacular win, just solid...
GridIronKing34forum_veteran"shouright wrote:
I don't think Reggie Bush's problems are physical. How can you hesitate and dance around behind the line even when all your team needs is 10 yards over three plays to win a game?
He seems to shy away from contact now... I think that's a little bit mental but a little bit physical as well.
Seems like a good thread to post this...
Ben VolinPBP..Tannehill's game by game passer ratings: 39.0, 50.2, 86.5, 91.0, 92.3. Steady improvement.
byroanadminI give Sean Smith a lot of credit. Two straight weeks going against two of the best WR's in the league and he's held his own. I would have liked to see him hold Green's arms back on the fumble but he's playing really good. Dalton threw a beautiful ball on the TD.
shourightNew Member"Den54 wrote:
Ben VolinPBP..Tannehill's game by game passer ratings: 39.0, 50.2, 86.5, 91.0, 92.3. Steady improvement.
That isn't accurate.
The ratings have gone 39, 91, 50.2, 86.5, and 92.3, in that order.
Paul 13moderator"GridIronKing34 wrote:
He seems to shy away from contact now... I think that's a little bit mental but a little bit physical as well.
Two things, he's banged up so naturally he's going to shy away from contact and he's missing time in practice which affects him all around. I think Dpate might be right in this regard. Maybe it is time to force him to sit one out. Although, with Daniel Thomas apparently receiving his second concussion in a month, we might not be able to now. Good news is the bye week should help here shortly. Also think DT was having a nice game before the injury. Finally running with some authority again. Just his luck he gets knocked out by Maualuga. Eh.. still pissed we didn't draft him... :shifty:
Reshad Jones is becoming the player I thought he could be when we drafted him. I'm not going to start a thread saying I told you so though.. :shifty:... Got to credit Coyle in this regard. He seems to have a knack for taking safeties and making them better. Chris Crocker wasn't even passable for us. Yet for the Bengals he's been okay... They brought him back this past week because they were thin at safety with some injuries.
Jimmy Wilson might have just had his best game as a Dolphin. The PD on the endzone play to Hawkins was exceptional. And the close trail technique on the last Bengals' offensive play of the game that resulted in Jones INT was superb. Dalton had the tiniest of windows.
Thought Nolan Carroll quietly had a great game. Was nice to see him come back from getting clubbed in the head by one of our guys. We seem to do a great job of hitting our own players.
Thought Sean Smith continues to play well. And he's thinking turnover after the receiver catches it... which signals to me he's really involved mentally.
Tony McDaniel was a nice guy to have back... I'm glad we didn't cut him. You can't teach his size at the DT position. And I thought he did a great job of getting in Dalton's face all day. He made one hustle play on a short pass that IMO saved a HUGE play from happening.
Charles Clay successfully demonstrated in one game why he can be good and bad. The seam pass was solid and a nice throw by RyTann. But then came a drop followed by a bonehead move in not going down in bounds... that could have really cost us. Thankfully it didn't.
Not sure what to do with Carpenter. He's got one of the strongest legs in the game. And it's not like his 50+ yard field goals haven't been close. Unlike the Packers kicker who missed a game tying fg at the end of regulation vs the Colts. I mean that guy wasn't even in the vicinity of making the kick. I think you might have to go with a punt in those situations. Four point lead vs a seven point lead is marginal when you're on the road in a game you aren't supposed to win. If the Bengals score a TD, you're likely to lose anyway you slice it. Seeing as we've lost the last two weeks in OT... I'm inclined to punt it and show some confidence in your defense. That's the biggest thing now. They are playing well. Let them win the game for you in regulation. Just like they did today.
Hopefully we have turned the corner today in that respect. Our defense closed the game out... finally.
Also think RyTann turned the corner today in that he didn't turn the ball over the entire game. He even took a sack at midfield rather than forcing it. He then came back with a nice underneath hookup to Fasano (IIRC) which setup the FG attempt by Carpenter (which he ultimately missed).
I hope Vernon can turn into something special as a pass rusher. He certainly has other ways of making an impact though which is a good sign. He's got some natural talent when he's in space. Putting him on two feet must be a way of utilizing that talent.
Thankfully the refs evened things out a little at the end of the game... talking about the call on Hartline for pass interference. That was a big play.
Speaking of Hartline... Bess... I don't think these were down or off games for them... more like normal games. I do like that Tannehill has developed a sync with Hartline. The long sideline play on the scramble was nice. And the play action to Bess underneath where he turned it up for 20+ yards was equally nice... and a great call by Sherman who IMO had one of his best games calling plays for the Dolphins.
Coaches had a great game today. Think you can credit Coyle's knowledge of the Bengals' personnel for that as well. There were some pass plays where our defense looked a step ahead of them... screen plays as well. And we know that never happens.
Twitter @Silver_Hornet (follow me and I'll follow you, just let me know who you are on here!
unifiedtheoryluxury_boxI really think Reshad Jones is becoming an ascending player for us. He's making big plays and is not getting killed in coverage. If it continues we are set at a position we come into the season thinking we were doomed at. I like it when players start playing well and we can check off "needs".
Speaking of "needs", Chris Clemons MUST be replaced. We don't have anyone to take his job now but he is the first guy I replace on the defense in the offseason. Add a couple of corners, a safety and another pass rusher this offseason and I think we have a top 5/dominant defense.
I'm on Twitter @ut_pez
Paul 13moderator"unifiedtheory wrote:
I really think Reshad Jones is becoming an ascending player for us. He's making big plays and is not getting killed in coverage. If it continues we are set at a position we come into the season thinking we were doomed at. I like it when players start playing well and we can check off "needs".
Speaking of "needs", Chris Clemons MUST be replaced. We don't have anyone to take his job now but he is the first guy I replace on the defense in the offseason. Add a couple of corners, a safety and another pass rusher this offseason and I think we have a top 5/dominant defense.
yeah.. I'm not looking forward to seeing Clemons against the Pats. Brady has carved the Broncos up so far in their game today. Clemons play recognition is extremely slow... as opposed to Jones.
Twitter @Silver_Hornet (follow me and I'll follow you, just let me know who you are on here!
Eop05subscriberWith Naanee gone, Armstrong still hurt, and Gaffney inactive, our 3rd receiving target today was Charles Clay. 3 WR sets consisted of Bess, Hartline, and Clay.
That's a problem. Gaffney needs to get the playbook down and get healthy fast. (good thing we have a bye week after next week).
But in a game where you absolutely needed Clay to step up.....man did he not. That pass he dropped had the potential to be a 35+ yard gain. And not getting OOB on that 3rd down was just not being smart. He dropped another ball in the 4th quarter where he was defended well (so it's probably not considered a drop), but good players haul those in.
My posts on this may be getting redundant, but it's not not having a #1 or a vertical threat. It's the lack of depth at WR that's hurting our offense. The lack of a 3rd option. Clay was supposed to be that option today. He didn't step up
rdhstlr23subscriberI hated the 53 yd FG call. Although Carpenter nailed a 46 yd FG, he hasn't made a 50+ and giving them field position was a perfect way to allow them back into the game. Other than that, the coaches did well. I still believe we are a below average team, but Ryan Tannehill makes you watch every week.
Eop05subscriber"rdhstlr23 wrote:
I hated the 53 yd FG call. Although Carpenter nailed a 46 yd FG, he hasn't made a 50+ and giving them field position was a perfect way to allow them back into the game. Other than that, the coaches did well. I still believe we are a below average team, but Ryan Tannehill makes you watch every week.
Not sure how you can believe this after watching the last 4 games. At worst we're average, IMO
Pandarillaforum_veteran"Eop05 wrote:
Not sure how you can believe this after watching the last 4 games. At worst we're average, IMO
I think fans are now spinning the "we aren't that good" mantra. It's a good fan strategy because it marginalizes expectations.
I think most Dolphin fans know what we have going. They just don't want to muck it up with bravado...
Rocky RaccoonmoderatorVery nice win. We needed that.
Reshad Jones has been really good this season. Kind if came out of no where to me as I wasn't expecting much from him but he's been very solid. He makes a big tackle in the backfield every week it seems. Looks like a missile and is making plays on the ball as well.
Rocky RaccoonmoderatorOh, and Randy Starks is having the best season for a Dolphin defender since JT's MVP season in 2006. An absolute force.
Eop05subscriber"Pandarilla wrote:
I think fans are now spinning the "we aren't that good" mantra. It's a good fan strategy because it marginalizes expectations.
I think most Dolphin fans know what we have going. They just don't want to muck it up with bravado...
I guess so. It's just real hard to deny that we're an OT missed FG and a 4th and 10 stop from being 4-1.
rdhstlr23subscriber"Eop05 wrote:
Not sure how you can believe this after watching the last 4 games. At worst we're average, IMO
This isn't going to be the prevailing thought around here, especially after a win, but I don't think we're good.
I want nothing more than the Dolphins to be turning it around or to be good. However, I see no difference between this team or the past 3 years.
We are in every game due to our ability to stop the run and run the ball. We've been one of the toughest and most physical teams for years now. However, we always find ways to lose, including twice already this year.
Do we have pieces? Yes. Do we have youth? Yes. But, every year or some combination of those years we've felt that way too. As a fan, I'm over the moral victories.
Am I pessimistic? Ya, maybe. But, I've seen this song and dance before. I've been disillusioned before. We are still plenty far away and in need of playmakers.
It feels great to win, especially when I thought we were well on our way to blowing it again. Plus, I was in a bar up here in Chicago full of Bengals fans.
Eop05subscriber"rdhstlr23 wrote:
This isn't going to be the prevailing thought around here, especially after a win, but I don't think we're good.
I want nothing more than the Dolphins to be turning it around or to be good. However, I see no difference between this team or the past 3 years.We are in every game due to our ability to stop the run and run the ball. We've been one of the toughest and most physical teams for years now. However, we always find ways to lose, including twice already this year.
Do we have pieces? Yes. Do we have youth? Yes. But, every year or some combination of those years we've felt that way too. As a fan, I'm over the moral victories.
Am I pessimistic? Ya, maybe. But, I've seen this song and dance before. I've been disillusioned before. We are still plenty far away and in need of playmakers.
It feels great to win, especially when I thought we were well on our way to blowing it again. Plus, I was in a bar up here in Chicago full of Bengals fans.
That's fine that you feel that way. And in some ways so do I. But you just described a mediocre or average team.
ToddPhinluxury_box"byroan wrote:
I give Sean Smith a lot of credit. Two straight weeks going against two of the best WR's in the league and he's held his own. I would have liked to see him hold Green's arms back on the fumble but he's playing really good. Dalton threw a beautiful ball on the TD.
Completely agree. SS24 is impressing the heck out'a me.
We held Green to 65 yards, but only 45'ish came vs Smith IIRC..... and in Cincy's final 3 possessions trailing by 4 points, Smith shut AJ down. Soon to be NFL top 5 corner. Sean's gettin paid.
DisgustipatesubscriberI think what's also noteworthy is that Davone Bess is becoming a less route-limited player. He's been either a slot receiver or a guy who played wide with a somewhat limited route tree, but this coaching staff has increased what he does down the field a fair amount.
He's never going to be a big home-run threat, but coming into this game he was tied for 12 with 20+ yard receptions in the NFL. He added two more in this game.
Frumundah FinnaticNew MemberI think we need to put Reggie in motion more, we know he's a good reciever.
MonstBlitz;2232016 wrote:
It wouldn't surprise me if he is retained. Jeff Ireland is the nightmare that won't end. The **** stain you cannot flush. The Herpes for which there is no cure.
GMJohnsonNew Member"Den54 wrote:
Seems like a good thread to post this...
Ben VolinPBP..Tannehill's game by game passer ratings: 39.0, 50.2, 86.5, 91.0, 92.3. Steady improvement.
Tanne is by far the biggest surprise on the team IMO. A problem pops up and the next week it's gone or at worst clearly diminished, meanwhile he continues to look more comfortable and confident. The two plays where he scrambled away from pressure and hit Bess and Hartline for big plays to get us into scoring range were outstanding. The Week 1 pass deflections are a distant memory, the protection issues vs Arizona seemed to be taken care of yesterday, haven't seen any of the bonehead plays like the INT to Laron Landry either.
I couldn't have been more wrong about the kid.
cdz12250subscriberWe are far from set on offense. 17 points is not exactly overwhelming, and we have a problem with inability to move the ball towards the end of the game. Defense won us the Bengals game.
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