Please explain something to me...

I couldnt get that decision either, frankly.

 

Because just like our QB and CB's, the head coach is inexperienced. Enough beating around the bush Dolfans, that's what it is.

 

Because there was more than enough time for them to win the game, when failing to make that conversion essentially ends the game. And it turned out to clearly be the right call.

 

if you weigh risk versus reward, the risk of not making it is losing the game, the reward for making it is the ball probably around their own 40 yard line and not near a score.

 

IMO we should have went for it as well but whats just as if not more concerning is why were we shuffling linemen in and out of our "hurry up" offense?

 

It turned out to be the right call. Also, the Texans were bascially looking to kill the clock at that point anyway.

 

I agreed with the call. I thought the risk and reward was more favorable for us and that the Texans would just try to run out the clock and that we could get the ball back quickly.

 

that was ridiculous
what is the point in that really
that was embarrassing

 

I think it was clearly the right call. Until that point...our defense had pitched a shutout in the second half...with two turnovers. 4th and 5 is definatley not a gimme by any stretch, and turning the ball over on our side of the field, made at least getting a FG by Houston much more probable, which would have effectively ended the game.

A more curious decision, is why Henning did not stay with the hurry up the entire second half...we were moving it at will...instead we chose to rotate in OL...and forced Henne to call our final timeout.

 

See I don't know if it was actually the right call and here is why. My gut tells me that the odds of making the forth down were much greater than us recovering an on sides kick.

 

Sparano is a very poor decision maker with the game on the line, I'll say that much. How many no huddle drives have we screwed up on this year? Not only this one with the shuffling of the linemen, but think of that terrible job against the Colts.

 

I think we're talking about two different times. At 5 minutes left I would have punted rather then going for the 4th down in our end. I think when you are behind you generally try to extend the game and missing the conversion would have substantially ended the game.

With +2 minutes left I wouldn't have onside kicked. I would have tried to pin them deep. I figured that we should be able to stop them on three straight runs and get the ball back especially when we know they're going to run.

 

How could you possibly justify kicking the ball deep with 2 minutes left and no timeouts? Even if you do get the ball back, you're looking at driving around 70 yards (remember, you need 7 points) with approximately 25 seconds left on the game clock.

Considering the circumstances, a successful onside kick attempt was the only option that gave the Dolphins a reasonable chance to tie/win the game.

 

If this is the one I'm thinking of, I scratched my head at it as well, but if I recall looking at the clock and the position on the field, I don't think it was worth the chance. Too good of field position to give up. We stood a better chance with the punt if you ask me.

Sparano has made some boneheaded calls this season, but after thinking about it for a minute I was ok with this one. Although I did at first totally expect them to go for it.

 

Because they've been shifting linemen the entire season. It's not a new practice or something specific to this team by any means.

Why, exactly, should they have not done it? Should there have been anticipation that a player was going to **** up in a way that was largely irrelevant to the outcome of the game?

 

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed in Sparano's second season at the helm of this franchise.

I think Tony probably needs to shoulder alot of the blame for the losses @ Buffalo (10 days to prepare), @ Tennessee and home against Houston (the latter two, failing to show up in the first half of games with playoff implications).

Also, I'll have a tough time forgetting some of the well-publicized (and inexcusable) clock management/timeout gaffes (the one that really sticks out was a home game against, maybe the Saints? - they all blend together at this point of the season - where Sparano called a timeout after an interception, failing to realize that the clock stops on a change of possession).

I understand its all about "how you finish" in today's NFL, and Sparano's December record was spotless last year, but something has to be said for how you start, as well.

The games matter just as much in September as they do in December. Hopefully the entire organization gets that memo in 2010.

I will say, I'm alot more skeptical moving into next year as to whether we truly have a coach that can elevate this franchise back into the national spotlight.

 

First off they [we] haven't been shifting linemen the entire season. They started doing this only after simely and grove got injured. While swapping D linemen in and out to keep them fresh is common practice it's almost unheard of on the offensive line. It only adds to our confusion.

 

There was more than two minutes left so the clock would automatically stop once for the the two minute warning. Then assuming we stopped them on three runs we'd get the ball with about 20 to 30 seconds left. If we kicked it deep and they had their usual return they'd start about their 22. If we stopped them from getting a first we'd get the ball about our 40. We'd also have a chance to really improve that with a good return.

IMO it depends on how much faith you have in your teams onside kick ability. I have almost none in Miami's. The few attempts I've witnessed in the last two years have looked largely horrible. I can't remember any that looked close. So while the league may recover 27% of their onside attempts, I saw Miami's chances as considerably lower. I saw the onside kick as having almost no chance. After seeing how close our attempt was, I believe I was right.

 

We needed what 5 yards or less? Shocked we didn't pass for it, i mean it woulda been a perfect time for one of Hennings famous WR screens to Bess for 4 yards, just to come up one yard short. But in all honesty, with how well we dink and dunk it shoulda been cake to get.

 

In regards to the shuffle, didn't Carey say he pulled himself?

 

Even if you don't get it, the game isn't over. In that situation holding them to a FG, going down 13 is worth the risk when you realize how little time was left on the clock.

 

This coaching staff has a lot to answer for in what should have been a year of operational improvement for them.

As the Head Coach, Sparano has to be accountable.

 

Excuse me, that was Garner as a Tackle Eligible. However, they've been doing it half the season, they did it last year, and beyond that, it's not in any sense unheard of. You should have noticed it happening when both Cameron and Saban did it with Hudson Houck as coach.

 

The only realistic chance this team had of sending this game to overtime was to recover an onside kick. We would have, at best, been starting at our own 40 under your scenario (and don't give me the whole "good return" thing, have you seen Davone Bess on punt returns?).

So this begs the question - what have you seen from this offense that would lead you to believe they could go 60 yards in 25 seconds with no timeouts? I'm sorry, but under those circumstances and going by what I've seen from this offense this year, I would give them absolutely no chance of sending the game to overtime.

Sparano absolutely made the correct call by attempting the onside kick. To be honest, I can't even believe that decision is being second guessed/questioned.