cool, hopefully its a variable that works out.

Whatta you guys think about Incognito playing center for the first time, and us having our best day running the football, with a lot of that coming right down the middle, and against a great Dline?.

 

Pretty sure Pouncey is getting first crack at the C spot, though frankly if the lockout kills up to (and possibly including preseason) then I think it will be Rich or Joe by default.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if we see Berger or Pouncey at LG though, and Richie at RG,

So Richie/Berger/Pouncey/Pouncey

With no OTa's Sparano is saying he will settle on the Oline much more quickly this yr.

As for the OP, whole heartedly agree, and we added the pieces needed to improve the running game via the Draft, and there is still Fa to go, what is even more hopeful is we play several teams whose main offensive weapon is running the ball and our D is much better vs the run then the pass imho.

KC, Oakland, etc

To me the season is setup for success "if" we have just good Qb play, the other issue is ST has to improve as the units outside of the AFCE that we play are not particularly strong on ST, there is typically improvement on ST year on year but we added Gates to help things out. One of the 2010 Bears keys to success was their ST created the best avg starting field position in the NFL, would love to see us with that sort of advantage this yr.

 

I always liked power football. 08 & 09 were great! 10 minute drives, just ramming the ball down their throats. I'll take that over a QB throwing 40 times any day.

 

Brian Daboll's system got Cleveland's offense ranked worse than ours and the Brownies to a 5-11 record. But we're still convinced a power running game is a good idea in today's NFL.

A strong running game is a good thing, for sure. But without competent quarterbacking to go with it, we won't go far.

 

Today's NFL is a passing game, no question about that. But for us old guys, we still like the power game and hitting.

 

What's interesting is that Jimmy Johnson came here and started a trend. Miami would be about defense and running game. It's been that way ever since. But at the same time, over the same 15 years, the NFL grew increasingly toward being an aerial-oriented league.

It's no wonder we haven't done a lot of winning over the last 15 years. As they say in investing, being contrarian only pays off at the turns.

 

Is that because we had the wrong scheme or the wrong personnel. The Steelers have been about that. They recently got Roethlisberger to throw the ball but their best seasons have all been when he threw for just over 3,000 yards and around 17 TD's. No lie. Check the stats. The Steelers win when they run the ball a lot and Ben isn't asked to do everything. His lone 4,000 yard season, they didn't even make the playoffs.

The Jets have taken the power run team with great Defense to the AFC Championship game two years in a row. The Texans can throw the ball everywhere but they can't play D and they recently got a consistent running game. I disagree 100% that it's the scheme. I think it's been the players and coaching in the scheme that has cost us rather than the scheme itself.

 

I think you can win with a strong running game and a strong defense. However, you still need to be opportunistic on your passing plays and have the ability to score TD's.

I think too many times the word conservatism and running game are thrown together. It's teams that have a strong running game, but remain aggressive in running plays and passing plays that have the most efficient of offenses.

 

By the way, I don't see Incognito starting at Center.
Long, Garner/Berger, Pouncey, Incognito/Jerry, Carey

I think Garner, Berger, Incognito, and Jerry will be very interchangeable all up and down the OLine.

 

Fairness to Daboll, the Browns Wr corps was garbage, no other way to say it, if you look at what he did with the talent he did have to work with, Hillis and Ben Watson and Evan Moore, he got the most out of them, but Robiskie and Massaquoi are not scaring anyone anytime soon.

 

Blogged about that last yr.

The reality behind those 15 yrs is quite simple:

A new HC ALWAYS preaches "strong Defense, strong running game" look at the turnover in Head Coaches in the last 15 yrs:

Shula
JJ
Wanny
Bates
Saban
Cameron

About oh, every 2.5 yrs or so, a new regime is installed, who has had little interest in drafting a young Qb because this is a win now league, every coach comes in and promises the Super Bowl, not a Rebuild, save for Sparano, and even he is suffering from betting on a young Qb developing who may not develop, those prior 6 names did not even go that far, save for Cam Cameron and he was run out of Miami on a rail.

That is why the names anti Sparano people toss out, to hire, are sooo funny, "Bring in Bill Cowher!!"

Really? Was Cowher ever known for a high flying aerial attack?

And yet..:chuckle:

 

Nailed it Bro, running the ball for 4.5 ypc is all fine, especially if the back can break some long scoring runs, the reality is you simply have to be able to pass the ball into the EZ for TD's, and from anywhere on the field, without a quick strike capability this is a tough league to win in as no offense can be perfectly executed play for play to mount TD drives without the usual penalties, incomplete passes, negative plays and what have you.

The only Qb that I've ever seen that I had confidence in to do exactly that was Chad Pennington, and he should retire, for mortals they have to find easier ways to drive a team.

I think a power running game without a deep passing element to the offense will just compile stats on 45 yd drives and settle for FG's or punts, when the O can pick up 15-20-30 yd plays at a time it makes life so much easier for the Team, let alone the offense.

One of the unsaids about the Defense is they rarely took the field with even a 10 pt lead, they had no room for error and that cut down on the unit's aggressiveness, add in mediocre Returns generating poor field position and the 2010 Dolphins spent most of their time fighting their own limitations.

 

I am so sick of that strategy...they tried to do this in 09, and even more last year to no avail....think the Indy game.....Miami needs to score points, I am all for being able to run the ball.....when it is needs to be...i.e.....up by 10-17 in the 4th qtr....but this "lets pound the ball from the 1st possession" is getting played out....it is a passing league gentlemen, lets find some a fearsome passing attack.....

I also dont think they should Martz it out either.....needs to be the right mix...

 

I've got little faith in Sparano's tough talk. I think Henne will improve despite Sparano. A tough guy who plays it safe, what'll they think of next?

 

Losing games to the Colts with a 46 minute to 14 minute possession advantage. Yeah. boy that was fun

 

You have to give credit where credit is due. We didn't "lose" that game...Peyton Manning beat us.

We had that game in the bag.

 

Yeah, two yrs ago..when the defense finished 25th in the NFL, uhm, yeah.

 

Still its a philosophy that got us 7-9 that season. Just like no offense, and a good defense got us 7-9 last year. No matter which way you put it, it was a losing season, and a losing philosophy.

 

Then why try that kind of offensive philosophy when you know you have a bad defense ? Its just like everything else this regime has done, it was a failure.

 

Out of curiosity, do you even recall beating the Packers, in their stadium, the only team to do so in 2010?

Did that happen in your world?

 

I like power football but 10 minute drives are a great way to lose games. Its simply too much to ask any offense to consistently execute 12-15 play drives over 10 minutes without making mistakes. Someone will miss an assignment, run a wrong route etc. Too many things can go wrong. Thats one of the reasons we needed different backs who can get some chunk yardage and the need for a speed wr was there to create spacing and big plays.

Exactly. There is more the one way to skin a cat. The best teams can win a 13-10 run oriented slugfest or a 35-31 shootout. It also keeps the opponents off balance because they know you can run and throw with great efficiency.

 

Excuse me but the Colts game was in 2009. The defense and circumstances were different. Please stay focused.

 

"everything this regime has done has been a failure"

Care to revist that statement?

 

You take everything to literal......but the most of what they have done is a failure so far. They have a lot to prove this season. Their jobs are riding on it I believe. I don't care that Sparano got 2 extra years from Ross, this is a make or break season.

 

because its the best way to keep them off the field and protect..The philosophy was perfect, you just have to have a balanced team to dominate..I think were much more balanced now Jake..Remember,we were beating the crap out of teams at the LOS last year, the good teams to, now you add that with some balance that we got in the draft, and maybe some action in free agency, and your taking another step into the right direction of executing that specific philosophy..

 

Its amazing to me that an offense that threw the ball 557 times and ran the ball 445 times, and passed the ball more and ran the ball less than their opponents on the year can be considered a run first offense, that somehow this is considered some kind of stone age leather helmet football.