Offense: Henne-It was even more obvious than it has been that the evaluations that had Henne just behind, but very close to Ryan and Flacco were accurate. The difference between the production of those players has primarily been the situation. He missed a few throws, but no more than most good to very good QBs. He still struggles with the fade. That just can't be your only redzone option. OL: The short yardage and penalty problems from the preseason continued. I thought Pouncey did okay with a very tough matchup, but couldn't get any push. Columbo is a liability. I was real envious of the Ravens and what they got out of Mt. McKinnie. RB: Bush ran hard but wasn't as effective as I hoped receiving. He didn't break away from the LBs as much as I thought he would and is capable of. Other than that first down conversion by Hilliard, did we have any other backs? WR: Marshall made some plays but left too many on the field. Hartline had one costly drop that ended a drive. TE: Fasano had some nice catches although I wish we had a TE with the ability to get separation. Defense: DL: They were handled much too easily by a patch work OL. They're supposed to be the strength of our team, but were mostly invisible. LBs: Wake showed up for maybe two plays and that was about it for all of our LBs. Their backs and TEs got open and always seemed to get that extra yard that kept their drive alive. Burnett didn't do much in coverage and looked like a downgrade in the running game. Secondary: The S play killed us. I have maintained for almost a decade now that S is one of the top two most important positions on defense, specifically a play making FS. They erase your mistakes and turn your opponent's mistakes into big plays. And they can't easily be schemed away from like CBs can. Bill Walsh recognized that back in the 80s. but this regime hasn't caught on yet. As TEs become increasingly more potent weapons, S will become even more important. Sapp gives up way more plays than he brings. There's a big drop off after the top two. I don't get the cramping issues. It was a night game after supposedly having practiced in this weather for months. My son doesn't even have to be told anymore that he should be drinking water for two days before each of his games and he's 10 years old. You would think this is something this team should have a handle on by now. Going forward, I hope they bring back W. Allen. I thought it was a mistake to cut him. I'm not sure if Edds would have helped, but he might have. Gates looks tentative on most of the returns. Livas might be worth brining back, but I would give Gates more time as a returner. I do expect that the D will be okay. They were containing a pretty good offense until the cramps started kicking in. On offense, the passing game should also continue to be solid, but I don't have much hope for improvement in the short yardage run game unless they could pull off a trade for Tebow. I like DT, but I don't think any back can overcome the lack of holes. The only reason Tebow might is that QB sneaks can often get to the gap before the DL has time to react. On the bright side, it is a passing league and teams like GB, NO, Pitt and Indy have won SBs despite struggling with power running in the last few years. I do think we showed that we can move the ball on offense. If the secondary can tighten up just a bit, this team can win quite a few games and be a playoff contender.
While I have been extremely negative on Henne as an NFL QB. I will admit that he was the best player on the Dolphins last night. Other than the play of Henne, I really didn't see anything from the Dolphins in the game to make me think they will be anymore than the mediocre team they have been for the last decade. It is time that the defenders of Ireland and Sparano actually consider the job these men have really done since they came to the organization four years ago. All I hear from Sparano at the beginning of each regular season is that he is happy with the players on the team. All I can say is I certainly didn't see a team last night that makes me happy to be a Dolphins fan. Sparano was once again clearly out coached and he did absolutely nothing at halftime to change the defensive game plan. His job as head coach is to get with the defensive coordinator at halftime and do something to change what isn't working. He once again, as he has done so often in the past, showed that he has no clue with it comes to halftime adjustments. Ireland is someone who seems to ride under the radar, but I hold him responsible for the general lack of talent on the Dolphins. Other than Jake long, Ireland hasn't provided the Dolphins with one other impact player during his four years as the Dolphins GM. The Dolphins have nothing but a bunch of average to below average players on their roster. The offensive line , other than Long, is far below average. The fact the Dolphins went to a fade route from the Patriots half yard line showed how weak their run game is. Bush certainly has more speed than Ricky or Ronnie but he is not the every down back the Dolphins seem to want him to be. The wide receivers are a decent group of receivers but there is no impact receiver in the group, and this includes Marshall. For every nice catch he makes, he then turns around and drops an easy catch. Ireland has provided the Dolphins with nothing except a mediocre offense with a below average offensive line. The defense which is suppose to be the strength of this team was totally exposed last night. Davis and Smith may talk about being the top cornerback duo in the NFL, but their play last night shows that they are not even in the top half of the NFL. The play of the safeties and the other defensive backs on the team last night showed how badly Ireland has done in selecting players to upgrade the defensive backfield. Burnett was suppose to be an upgrade over Crowder. From what I saw, he didn't cover any better than Crowder and he appears weaker against the run. Crowder was also responsible for calling the defensive plays on the field and it appears that no one now on the defense has any idea how to replace Crowder in this important defensive function. The defensive line and the LB's all played terrible last night and I don't see a player on the entire defense who can be considered an impact player. It is time Dolphin fans realize that Ireland is a major part of the problem, and is definitely not part of the solution. Both Ireland and Sparano need to be replaced before Dolphin fans can expect to see an improvement in the talent on the Dolphins. It doesn't matter who the Dolphins bring back from the players they cut in preseason. The Dolphins are nothing but the same mediocre team them have been since Ireland and Sparano took over the team. They will remain mediocre until Ross finally decides to bring in a GM and head coach who actually knows how to bring in impact players, who can turn this organization around.
I think it's pretty clear that this team is better now than they were when this regime came in. There have been many moves that I've been critical about and in retrospect would have improved us even more, but we're definitely better. Marshall is clearly an impact receiver. I think he left plays on field but he also made many as well, many that a non-impact receiver could not have made. The passing offense hasn't been this high powered since the Marino days under Shula. They have brought in a new coach and complementary talents. Unless Clay or Rosario fills the void then they have failed to find that receiving TE to pair with Fasano. The running game and OL still need work, but there are three key pieces in Long, Pouncey and DT. I really like the pieces on offense that they have put together. In addition to Long, Pouncey and DT, I would add Henne, Marshall, Bess, Hartline, Gates and Fasano as pieces that are worth building around. Time will tell on the younger guys, but even without them the cupboard is hardly bare. The defense has also upgraded talent-wise from what we had. We finished in the top 10 in several categories last season. While there were areas that obviously needed to improve, we were no where near that level when Ireland and Sparano got here. NE is clearly one of the best offenses in the league so basing it on this game is just myopic. I have been critical of the failure to bring in a play making FS. I think they have an old school philosophy on the position that is behind the times. But like the offense, I see a lot of pieces worth building around. I like Wake, Starks, Soliai, Lankford, Dansby, Smith and Davis going forward. Other than Soliai, every one of the pieces I listed on offense and defense is new. Adding a young nucleus of a dozen players is clear improvement over what we've had for the last decade. I haven't agreed with everything they've done, but it's clear that there has been considerable improvement.
We are better , in SOME areas. We are not very good in quite a few though. The secondary has been exposed for what they truly are and while the passing game is much better , it may not matter as we can't make enough plays against quality passing offences . Virtually no pass rush to compound that and and Oline is really not any better , certainly not to where it should be when one factors in all of the assets that were used on it. We have a long way to go , and I doubt this coach and GM are here next year. Hard to start over , but we could be 4th in this division , not saying we will be , but the gap isn't closing in our favor as I see it. I harped about the rare opportunity this off season to add elite talent , as I see it we virtually squandered that , and because of that , even if we do most things right from here forward , we lost time . Again.
I don't agree that there was all that much talent out there this year. I thought we missed rare opportunities to add a play making FS in Earl Thomas and a Hernandez or Pitta at TE a year ago. I think those moves would have made the biggest positive improvements on this year's team.
If you are referring to an improvement from the 1-15 team that Parcells and Ireland inherited. I will agree that the team today is better than the 2007 team. Parcells and Ireland were quickly able to improve the talent from that team and I have no problem admitting that. My problem is that I have not seen the upgrades needed to take this team to another level and Ireland has merely selected players and signed free agents who continue to keep the Dolphin organization nothing but mediocre. I have been saying for over a year that the problem with this team is a lack of top quality players and this is the fault of the man responsible for providing the talent, Jeff Ireland. There are maybe four starters on the Dolphins who would be starters on the Patriots. Long and Marshall on offense and maybe Dansby and Davis on defense. Other then these players, I don't see any other starter on the Dolphins who could beat out the starters on the Patriots. After four years at the helm. You would think that Ireland should have done a far better job of catching up to the talent on the best team in our the division. Instead it is the Bills catching up with the Dolphins while the Dolphins fall further behind the Patriots and Jets. Adding new and younger players doesn't mean they are better and therefore an upgrade. It merely means to me that the Dolphins are more concerned with the bottom line and are far more interested in spending less money then in putting a playoff caliber team on the field. I know the season just started and you still feel the need to see the glass as half full. While I admire your patience with Ireland and Sparano. I have no doubt that before this season is over, you too will see the light and will be calling for the firing of Sparano and Ireland.
Dansby, Davis, Smith, Wake and Starks or Langford would start on NE's D. Long and Marshall would start and Bush and Bess would play a lot on their O. Also Pouncey would be seen as a future starter. These are all good to very good players which you refuse to acknowledge. I get that years of frustration have robbed you of your objectivity, but the bottom line is that this regime has added quite a bit of talent.
I have to agree that Wake would be a starter. I somehow forgot about him. Perhaps it is because every time I saw him last night, he was laying under the Patriots rookie right tackle. As far as Starks, Langford, and Smith are concerned. I think Starks and Langford would make the Patriots, but I don't see them being starters. I have never been a big Smith fan and I think he is vastly overrated. While I don't see the Patriots defensive backs as a strong position for their team. I just don't see Belichick being happy if Smith was a starting cornerback on his team. He is not a strong tackler, and he doesn't create turnovers. He gets beat several times a game. In fact I think the Dolphins should have kept Allen and started him in front of Smith. Just my opinion. I do agree that Bess and Bush would also make the Patriots , but I don't see either one of them being starters for the Patriots. So basically I agree with you that Wake could be a starter on the Patriots. That means that I see five starters for the Dolphins who could possibly start for the Patriots and 17 starters for the Dolphins who are no better than possible back ups on the Patriots. It certainly seems that there is quite a bit a separation in talent between the Dolphins and the Patriots. Perhaps that is why they are in the playoffs each year and contending for the Super Bowl on a regular basis. While the Dolphins continue to remain the mediocre team they have been for the last decade.
Other than Brady, there isn't a huge talent gap. We're more talented at receiver, DBs and LBs. They're more talented at QB, TE and OL (as a unit). RBs and maybe DL are a push. The thing is that if you have a great QB and you give him time especially when facing a poor FS, he's going to tear you up.
I don't say we should have , nor expected many of these players , but I think Jonathan Joseph , Eric Weddle ,Paul Posluszny, DeAngelo Williams, Sidney Rice ,Santonio Holmes, Jared Gaither , Malcolm Floyd , Braylon Edwards ,Nate Clements ,Antonio Cromartie, Carlos Rodgers ,Nnamdi Asomugha, Dawan Landry Zach Miller ,Todd Heap Ahmad Bradshaw are players that are talented enough to make a difference , and that is not counting players like Greg Olsen who was aquired in a pretty low cost trade. A corner would have been great as would a safety , and hey I would gladly trade Hartline for one of those receivers too. Just an area I believed should have been better approached.
