Keys to a successful season for Dolphins

Nice read!

I agree that the Pat's bandwagon will be getting a little lighter as the season progresses. I am not saying that are gonna suck but I don't think that are gonna be as good as everyone is advertising.

 

I agree with the need to run the ball out of the base formation. The need for pass pressure is important as well but not necessarily from the DL. And his example in support of his argument for DL pressure was weak. The Steelers DL is good and ours is bad b/c they had 2 more sacks over the course of a whole season?

I did like his take on the SOS.

 

Sos?

 

Strength of Schedule.

 

While I would love more pressure from the DL, last year's only 2 sacks less than the SB Champion Steelers is not really bad. I think it boils down more to PUSH to disrupt the running game by pushing their OL back into running lanes or even disrupting the handoffs.

Very nice read though, WE are the reigning AFCE Champions, and until somebody takes that away from us we REMAIN AFCE Champions! I think it will be a dogfight for us to pull that off again, but I do know this: we will be in every game, we will have a chance to win in the 4th quarter of every game and generally we will have more left in the tank in the 4th qtr because we will be better conditioned than almost every team we play.

So don't tell me the S.O.S. is going to bring this team down, Parcells, Ireland and Sparano are all as aware of the S.O.S. as we are, and have done an incredible job of getting this team prepared for it.

I worry only about 3 areas: our OL may need 5-6 games to gel in the running game in standard offensive sets, our secondary may need some time (5-6 games again?) to gel as a unit and for the rookies Smith & Davis to get up to NFL speed, and lastly I worry about our ST's, we suck on ice on ST's, and this year we cannot afford for it to take half a season for the ST unit to gel like last year.

 

Well, out of our base formation I do feel we will move the ball more effectively simply because we have the effective Lou Polite at FB to start the season instead of having him week 4 or 5 and Joey Haynos is a fine blocking TE.

I'm rewatching the Saints game because Polite and Haynos played extensively in the 2nd half, and Haynos does move like a third tackle, he has a nice feel for blocking players on the move.

They even lined up Haynos in the backfield as a FB.

 

we hold the season in our hands
if we achieve expectation on the offensive line
& become an effective SpecialTeams unit

we will be there for the post season run

 

I think we need more consistent pressure from the LBs. If the DL produces about the same # of sacks as last year I won't really complain much. That just isn't their role.

 

hmm, I don't agree with that and would bet the coaches don't either. If collapsing the pocket and putting pressure on the qb isn't their job then just what exactly are they supposed to be doing on passing downs?

 

Primarily to occupy blockers and plug up running lanes. This helps free the LBs to get the sacks. I'm not saying that coaches are unhappy if a DL gets a sack, I'm saying that's their secondary role. The 3-4 doesn't generally look for penetrators on the line. It looks for two gap guys.

Look at last year's Steelers. They were statistically one of the best defenses ever. They were #1 in scoring defense, total YPG allowed and passing YPG allowed. They were #2 in rushing YPG allowed. I don't know that any defense in the modern era has been that close to being #1 in all four categories. They were also #2 in sacks yet they only got 11.5 sacks from their DL. This is usually what happens in 3-4 defenses. They often get a ton of sacks but those sacks come from the LBs or secondary not the DL.