The 2021/2022 Season Review
35 replies
KeyFinforum_veteranOPA lot of you are wondering how a team can win a divisional game, then lose seven straight, only to win seven more. So here's my take on things with what went right and wrong with the 2021 Miami Dolphins.
We were in cap trouble this year and had to make some hard cuts- in my opinion we made the wrong ones. Fuller in particular was catastrophic- that could have been Van Noy and a veteran lineman or two. Grant was another head-scratcher...why trade an all-pro return man mid season? Either do that before the year or not at all.
We were better than our 1-7 start, but we simply didn't have the veteran leadership to close out games. The defense was pretty good at times but not consistent, and from what I hear it was Flores taking over the D that made the biggest changes. For that reason alone, you can't fire Flores. He is a keeper in my book.
However, we weren't as good as our 7-1 run either. The offensive line is still horribly flawed, we've had no run game and our receiving corp is a joke. We won seven games on the backs of this defense plus Tua and Waddle. People here have complained that Tua can only throw short...well duh...we have a historically poor offensive line and throwing short was all we could do. That streak never should have lasted because it was a lie- our offense should never have been that consistent with such an inconsistent roster around the QB.
The theme between those 16 games so far was pretty simple- we took the lead and dialed up pressure (which created turnovers), or we fell behind and struggled to stop the run (which eliminated the chance for turnovers). It happened over and over again...Miami simply can't play from behind with any sort of consistency and it all comes back to that offensive line. That first drive yesterday in Tennessee- if we would have scored 7 instead of driving half the field and punting, we would have seen a very different game. If you remember, Tennessee's first two drives netted zero yards. Zero. But they beat us in the punt game and eventually pinned us in our own end zone, where the options were minimal since we can't run consistently and we can't go deep. They just kept covering up Waddle and our one-dimensional offense collapsed.
But don't get this twisted- we saw the same team for 16 games. We take the early lead and dominate, or we fall behind and have no way to fight back into the game. That's 100% on Grier as well.
Going into next season, we HAVE TO fix the offensive line and find some balance for this offense. Tua & Waddle can't account for 90% of the production each week; that's too easy to shut down and it's not fair to Tua. Anyone that's ever coached or played football will tell you that the game is won and lost in the trenches 100% of the time, and a seven game win streak despite losing that battle is miraculous. It never, ever ever should have happened...yet it did. We probably would have been 1-15 with Brissett as the starter.
The good news is that our defense is very young and should continue playing at these levels for a number of years. We are truly elite in close games or playing with a lead because of the pressure/turnovers this D can generate, but we will have to fully rebuild this offense so we can play complimentary football. Tua to Waddle should always be a solid second or third option, but it can't be our entire offense because eight other players can't contribute. We have to fix this line, and we have to get some skill players that can create separation. We just can't continue throwing everything to Waddle and then throwing everything to Gisecki when that doesn't work. It's a fool's errand and a recipe for dysfunction.
And somehow we won seven straight anyway. That's truly a miracle folks and it's something to be proud of.
Looking to the offseason, the path is crystal-clear...rebuild the line, grab a stud RB, get some separation receivers. A great pass-rushing DE would be great as well but at this point, it's a luxury item that we could do without. The great news is that we'll have tons of cap space and should be able to buy everything on our wish list, but the bad news is that we need someone making the right decisions on offensive line talent and I don't think that person is Grier. It's inexcusable to get the line that wrong and I think he has to go.
I know some of you would also point to our co-offensive coordinators and other coaching positions, but you really have to understand the core principle of football...everything works through the trenches. OC is not the problem here; it may even be a strength once we have a line in place. I would definitely buy the best offensive line coach money can buy though, and potentially even double down with a 2nd world-class hire.
If we fix the line problems and bring in a few blue collar separation receivers, we'll be a playoff contender right out of the gate. But that's also a pretty big ask with our track record at drafting linemen and hanging on to veteran free agents. So we'll see what happens; the future is bright if we can find the right leadership to finish Grier's vision of the perennial playoff contender.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
ExplosionsInDaSkyforum_veteranI've been piling on Tua for the last 14 hours. I've chilled a bit and I'm still mad at him. I've said all along that I will always support this team no matter what, no matter who they have playing for them. I've also said that we will never win anything until we have a franchise quarterback in place. I agree that the offensive line needs to yet again....be the priority this offseason. I think drafting a bell cow running back should be the other priority. If we can address those two issues, then I like our chances at improving. I love our defense, but an added run stopper wouldn't hurt either.
Above each and every thing that could be improved upon, it's Tua that has to take the next step. My gut tells me that we're going to give him one more year as our quarterback. I'm all for acquiring Deshaun Watson though. Watson is a franchise top tier quarterback and that's what we need. If he's not in the plans, then we have to insulate Tua as much as possible. Regardless of who the quarterback is, they do need time to throw and they need a clean pocket.
Looking back at this season, I think Key hit right on it. When we had leads, the games were very much in hand. Playing from behind was always a recipe for disaster. In my opinion, to be a good team, you have to win one coming from behind once in a while. That usually starts and is only done when a team has a franchise quarterback leading the way. My fear is that we can upgrade the roster around Tua all day long and yet still not be able to win a tight ball game or come back from a deficit of any kind. Great quarterbacks make things like that happen. A great quarterback or potentially great quarterback would not have played the way Tua did two years in a row in the most important game of the season. I have my doubts at this point. For me, it's not about taking a side, it's just what I'm seeing. Yesterday's game was all that mattered with what was at stake. This is two years in a row and it's becoming a trend. Even if we make the playoffs with him next year, what then? He pulls this in the wildcard game and we lose 31-3 again? Losing like this is the worst way to lose. True.. we never should have dug that 1-7 hole, but we did. We climbed out of it, beat a good Ravens team, but ALL that mattered was Yesterday's game. If this team wasn't going to be for real, then why tease like this? Go get the dog leash, ask your dog if he wants to take a walk....then hang the leash back up, and sit back down. That's torture, that's how I feel right now. Like the dog that thought he was gonna go for an awesome walk, maybe run a bit. Screw this. See you all next year.
Dorfdadforum_veteranAgree on a lot of these points but I have zero faith in them actually addressing the OL properly we been saying this for like 15 years!
we need to fix the line get a real stud running back and a true number one to compliment waddle.
we have to make some decisions on TE.
But we need to fix the coaching also we can’t have a committee OC
KeyFinforum_veteran"ExplosionsInDaSky wrote:
My fear is that we can upgrade the roster around Tua all day long and yet still not be able to win a tight ball game or come back from a deficit of any kind. Great quarterbacks make things like that happen. A great quarterback or potentially great quarterback would not have played the way Tua did two years in a row in the most important game of the season. I have my doubts at this point.
Here's the thing about Tua- we've evaluated him for a little over a season in how he does in a dysfunctional offense. And if we're honest, he's a good QB for that role; his sack rate is low, his completion percentage is high, and he can somehow function without an offensive line.
However, what we're seeing today does not translate to whether or not we have a franchise quarterback. In all honesty, the evaluation process hasn't actually started yet because we have no idea what Tua can do in a balanced offense. For instance, the RPO...why even call it that? In reality, it's a short play-action pass with the line run blocking, even though we never actually run. That's not on Tua though, he's making the reads and throwing the football into tight windows with a fast release. That's all a quality QB can do with very little protection.
If we bring in Watson, the offense will do better to some extent, but the game-plan absolutely has to be the exact same- fix the line, get a stud RB, get some separation receivers. Watson helps because he's a genuine run threat without a stud RB, but we're seeing how far that gets Lamar Jackson and we've also seen the long-term durability of running QB's. That's not an option, in my opinion, to insert Watson and hope for the best. We have to do this the right way regardless if it's Tua, Watson or someone else entirely.
I will say this- Tua has done well with what he's had to work with. But that's not the goal folks, we're not trying to generate huge yards with a broken offense. It's not sustainable. That's the recipe for losing seven in a row and then winning seven in a row, but it's not the path of a true perennial playoff contender. If we want to be a Pitt or a Buffalo or a KC, we have to have a balanced attack to compliment our elite defense. It's the only way forward.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
Destroyerforum_veteranThis team will never make the playoffs with Tua. I have serious doubts about Flores too. Slow starts every year and awful week 17 blow outs 2 years in a row. I don't think he can build a good staff.
The Dolphins are the softest team in the NFL. Tua hater starting 12/11/22.
"KeyFin wrote:
We were better than our 1-7 start, but we simply didn't have the veteran leadership to close out games.
Losing to Jacksonville and Atlanta was totally inexcusable. That wasn't a lack of veteran leadership issue. That was a coaching issue. It's the one thing that gives me pause about Flores. Anyway, I don't think Ross will make any major changes so we'll see how they do year 4.
KeyFinforum_veteran"cbrad wrote:
Losing to Jacksonville and Atlanta was totally inexcusable. That wasn't a lack of veteran leadership issue. That was a coaching issue. It's the one thing that gives me pause about Flores. Anyway, I don't think Ross will make any major changes so we'll see how they do year 4.
Okay, but how do you coach an offense that has two starting receivers always out, no offensive line to speak of and no run game? Oh, and Tua has to get rid of the ball within two seconds or he's getting leveled. Throwing by 1.5 seconds would be optimal, even though Waddle and Grant are the only two that can get open that fast. Oh, and we traded Grant...sorry.
You make it sound like that's such an easy task- but in reality it's almost impossible.
I do agree that if we had beaten Atlanta or Jax, this is a playoff team. And if we took the early lead in those playoff games, who knows how far we could have gone. But that doesn't change the fact that a quarterback needs pieces around him to be successful consistently. Every playoff team starts and ends with consistency.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
"ExplosionsInDaSky wrote:
I've been piling on Tua for the last 14 hours. I've chilled a bit and I'm still mad at him. I've said all along that I will always support this team no matter what, no matter who they have playing for them. I've also said that we will never win anything until we have a franchise quarterback in place. I agree that the offensive line needs to yet again....be the priority this offseason. I think drafting a bell cow running back should be the other priority. If we can address those two issues, then I like our chances at improving. I love our defense, but an added run stopper wouldn't hurt either.
Above each and every thing that could be improved upon, it's Tua that has to take the next step. My gut tells me that we're going to give him one more year as our quarterback. I'm all for acquiring Deshaun Watson though. Watson is a franchise top tier quarterback and that's what we need. If he's not in the plans, then we have to insulate Tua as much as possible. Regardless of who the quarterback is, they do need time to throw and they need a clean pocket.
Looking back at this season, I think Key hit right on it. When we had leads, the games were very much in hand. Playing from behind was always a recipe for disaster. In my opinion, to be a good team, you have to win one coming from behind once in a while. That usually starts and is only done when a team has a franchise quarterback leading the way. My fear is that we can upgrade the roster around Tua all day long and yet still not be able to win a tight ball game or come back from a deficit of any kind. Great quarterbacks make things like that happen. A great quarterback or potentially great quarterback would not have played the way Tua did two years in a row in the most important game of the season. I have my doubts at this point. For me, it's not about taking a side, it's just what I'm seeing. Yesterday's game was all that mattered with what was at stake. This is two years in a row and it's becoming a trend. Even if we make the playoffs with him next year, what then? He pulls this in the wildcard game and we lose 31-3 again? Losing like this is the worst way to lose. True.. we never should have dug that 1-7 hole, but we did. We climbed out of it, beat a good Ravens team, but ALL that mattered was Yesterday's game. If this team wasn't going to be for real, then why tease like this? Go get the dog leash, ask your dog if he wants to take a walk....then hang the leash back up, and sit back down. That's torture, that's how I feel right now. Like the dog that thought he was gonna go for an awesome walk, maybe run a bit. Screw this. See you all next year.
I would feel better if it was just Tua who played poorly in those games but for the second year in a row the entire team looked awful.
"KeyFin wrote:
Okay, but how do you coach an offense that has two starting receivers always out, no offensive line to speak of and no run game? Oh, and Tua has to get rid of the ball within two seconds or he's getting leveled. Throwing by 1.5 seconds would be optimal, even though Waddle and Grant are the only two that can get open that fast. Oh, and we traded Grant...sorry.
You make it sound like that's such an easy task- but in reality it's almost impossible.
I do agree that if we had beaten Atlanta or Jax, this is a playoff team. And if we took the early lead in those playoff games, who knows how far we could have gone. But that doesn't change the fact that a quarterback needs pieces around him to be successful consistently. Every playoff team starts and ends with consistency.
It's not impossible. The team didn't suddenly get a huge infusion of talent when the win streak started.
ExplosionsInDaSkyforum_veteran"KeyFin wrote:
Here's the thing about Tua- we've evaluated him for a little over a season in how he does in a dysfunctional offense. And if we're honest, he's a good QB for that role; his sack rate is low, his completion percentage is high, and he can somehow function without an offensive line.
However, what we're seeing today does not translate to whether or not we have a franchise quarterback. In all honesty, the evaluation process hasn't actually started yet because we have no idea what Tua can do in a balanced offense. For instance, the RPO...why even call it that? In reality, it's a short play-action pass with the line run blocking, even though we never actually run. That's not on Tua though, he's making the reads and throwing the football into tight windows with a fast release. That's all a quality QB can do with very little protection.
If we bring in Watson, the offense will do better to some extent, but the game-plan absolutely has to be the exact same- fix the line, get a stud RB, get some separation receivers. Watson helps because he's a genuine run threat without a stud RB, but we're seeing how far that gets Lamar Jackson and we've also seen the long-term durability of running QB's. That's not an option, in my opinion, to insert Watson and hope for the best. We have to do this the right way regardless if it's Tua, Watson or someone else entirely.
I will say this- Tua has done well with what he's had to work with. But that's not the goal folks, we're not trying to generate huge yards with a broken offense. It's not sustainable. That's the recipe for losing seven in a row and then winning seven in a row, but it's not the path of a true perennial playoff contender. If we want to be a Pitt or a Buffalo or a KC, we have to have a balanced attack to compliment our elite defense. It's the only way forward.
I don't know, I'm torn on the whole thing. A big part of me really truly feels that you need a franchise quarterback to win in this league and until we get one, it's just not going to happen. A team might be able to bluff it's way to the playoffs based off of hard work, a good defense, maybe a strong run game, but franchise quarterbacks are what win Super Bowls. I realize in the past quarterbacks like Flacco, a broken Peyton Manning, Trent Dilfer, or even going further back Mark Rypien, Jeff Hostettler all won Super Bowls. You could even argue that Troy Aikman was basically an average quarterback that was able to manage the game at a high rate. The thing is you're banking on the entire team staying completely healthy along with having a dominant offensive line and a dominant defense along with a superior run game. Every one of those teams that won without a great quarterback had all those things in place. That's asking a lot in my opinion and it's probably even more rare then having a great quarterback or great quarterback play (Eli Manning). Speaking of Eli, what he did was so rare that a movie will probably be made about it at some point. He pulled off one of the all time upset/underdog stories in all of sports.
Now in regards to Tua, if we're going to keep rolling with him, then fine. I'll support it. I will be behind it 100%. We'll have to hope and pray for huge internal growth out of him, and a monumental Drew Brees like step forward in year three! Again, that is a lot to ask. I completely agree with you on every point you make. The offensive line (regardless of who's playing quarterback) has to be a mainstay. We have to be able to run the ball as well. The basic fundamentals of playing football have got to be solidified in order for whoever is playing quarterback to succeed. I understand that. I think that we should continue to upgrade the roster and focus on those main points (running back/O line). With that said, if the opportunity arises for us to really upgrade the quarterback position to the best of it's ability, then we should keep an open mind. I feel like great quarterbacks can overcome mishaps within the game like injuries to the teams best wide receiver, or an injury to a key offensive line player. The defense is having issues? Can't stop the run? A great quarterback doesn't play defense, but he can keep his offense on the field, sustain drives, and manipulate the game to where a struggling defense doesn't have to play as much. These are things that Tua isn't doing and that is where I have my doubts about him. It's not the arm strength or his size. You don't need to be 6'5 230 pounds with a rocket arm to succeed in the league. We've seen Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell fizzle right out in no time. Great quarterback play is by far the most important aspect to having a chance at winning a game on any day in my opinion. As long as Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers behind center, they have a shot at beating anyone on any day of the week in any atmosphere...Snow, hail, lightening, wind, sandstorm, doesn't matter. Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Watson, Mahomes, Herbert, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr, Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson all exude those qualities. Even Carson Wentz, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford can be put in that category. I'm not saying these guys are all in the same tier skill wise, but each and every one of them has shown the ability to carry a team on their backs when it's been needed. Take a player like Lamar Jackson for example. There seems to be a 50/50 split on this guy as far as how good he actually is. Remember earlier in the season against the Colts? Indy had the Ravens on the ropes in that game! They were killing them, and Jackson brought them back to win in thrilling fashion. It was one of the best games I watched all year. The whole entire team elevated it's play because of Jackson and because of a few plays that were made on defense by Calais Campbell. I remember when we were leading Baltimore at the start of our win streak. I thought "Oh shit" Jackson is gonna dagger us, it's gonna happen, and it very well could have happened, but it didn't. Sill...The fear was there. With Jackson healthy and playing, that Baltimore team is never out of a game. Can the same be said about Tua? Down 17-3 yesterday to the Titans, not once did I think "we got Tua, we can come back." No...It was more "Oh Jesus, there's goes the game and our season." You don't say or think things like that when you have a big time quarterback playing on your team.
Let me conclude this by saying this about Tua...And John Madden once said the same thing about Drew Brees. "He's pretty damn good when he's not running for his life". I remember Brees having the same problem in San Diego his first couple of seasons as a starter there. Once the O Line was fixed, and Tomlimson started to do his thing, we saw a different Drew Brees. I hope the same can happen with Tua.
KeyFinforum_veteran"cbrad wrote:
It's not impossible. The team didn't suddenly get a huge infusion of talent when the win streak started.
No, they got INCREDIBLY creative in letting Waddle get instant space so we could move the football.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
Dol-Fan Dupreeforum_veteran"KeyFin wrote:
No, they got INCREDIBLY creative in letting Waddle get instant space so we could move the football.
I thought they only really did that against the Saints. In other games it was just route concepts and good route running.
Holland is a huge upgrade over McCain
I want to be alive, I am alive! Alive, I tell you! Mother, I love you, those are no longer just words. I want to hold you, I want to run in a stream, I want to taste ice cream but not just put it in my mouth and let it slide down my throat but really eat it. - Robot Morty
KeyFinforum_veteran"ExplosionsInDaSky wrote:
As long as Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers behind center, they have a shot at beating anyone on any day of the week in any atmosphere...Snow, hail, lightening, wind, sandstorm, doesn't matter. Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Watson, Mahomes, Herbert, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr, Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson all exude those qualities. Even Carson Wentz, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford can be put in that category. I'm not saying these guys are all in the same tier skill wise, but each and every one of them has shown the ability to carry a team on their backs when it's been needed.
This is the only part I disagree with you on, because I think we could have taken any of those QB's above and inserted them into our offense yesterday, and we still lose the game.
Because here's the thing- we did not lose yesterday because of Tua. He did what he could in a downpour, while the Titans ran the football and asked Tannehill to throw 18 total passes for 120 total yards. Tannehill didn't win the game yesterday and Tua didn't lose it. In those weather conditions, the game is solely about the trenches and the running game.
Could Lamar Jackson have run for 150 behind our offense line and made it much closer? Yeah, probably. He's the only one from your list above that could have given us a decent chance. But behind our offensive line, I have a feeling that he doesn't get anywhere near the yards needed to pull out a win.
Burrow, Allen, Mahommes, Herbert? They would have had a very bad day. If you look at the film, nobody was open the vast majority of the afternoon. Parker was absolutely blanketed and Waddle wasn't getting the ball within 5 yards of the LOS. Even Gisecki, who had some great catches in the 2nd half, was open by maybe a half step. These QB's wouldn't have won because it wasn't about the passing game; it was about being able to run the ball when the defense knows you're running the ball. And we had zero chance.
I'm not saying Tua is a great quarterback here and I'm not trying to defend him. But when you're playing in sleet with 20 MPH winds, you can't lean on any QB or the passing game to give you a chance. I don't need to tell you that though- everyone here knows that as a fact. In bad weather, you run the ball and control the tempo on the ground. That's just not something we can do with this offensive line.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
"KeyFin wrote:
Because here's the thing- we did not lose yesterday because of Tua. He did what he could in a downpour, while the Titans ran the football and asked Tannehill to throw 18 total passes for 120 total yards. Tannehill didn't win the game yesterday and Tua didn't lose it. In those weather conditions, the game is solely about the trenches and the running game.
Tannehill was throwing the ball well. Tua wasn't, except for a few drives. This wasn't one of those weather dominated games like that Buffalo-NE game earlier where you could visibly see the ball being pushed off in different directions in the air.
Tua was most responsible for this loss. After that, I'd say that non-DPI had a huge impact, and we also had some bad play calling.
"cbrad wrote:
Tannehill was throwing the ball well. Tua wasn't, except for a few drives. This wasn't one of those weather dominated games like that Buffalo-NE game earlier where you could visibly see the ball being pushed off in different directions in the air.
Tua was most responsible for this loss. After that, I'd say that non-DPI had a huge impact, and we also had some bad play calling.
They also gave up 200 yards rushing
RGFsubscriber"ExplosionsInDaSky wrote:
I've been piling on Tua for the last 14 hours. I've chilled a bit and I'm still mad at him. I've said all along that I will always support this team no matter what, no matter who they have playing for them. I've also said that we will never win anything until we have a franchise quarterback in place. I agree that the offensive line needs to yet again....be the priority this offseason. I think drafting a bell cow running back should be the other priority. If we can address those two issues, then I like our chances at improving. I love our defense, but an added run stopper wouldn't hurt either.
Above each and every thing that could be improved upon, it's Tua that has to take the next step. My gut tells me that we're going to give him one more year as our quarterback. I'm all for acquiring Deshaun Watson though. Watson is a franchise top tier quarterback and that's what we need. If he's not in the plans, then we have to insulate Tua as much as possible. Regardless of who the quarterback is, they do need time to throw and they need a clean pocket.
Looking back at this season, I think Key hit right on it. When we had leads, the games were very much in hand. Playing from behind was always a recipe for disaster. In my opinion, to be a good team, you have to win one coming from behind once in a while. That usually starts and is only done when a team has a franchise quarterback leading the way. My fear is that we can upgrade the roster around Tua all day long and yet still not be able to win a tight ball game or come back from a deficit of any kind. Great quarterbacks make things like that happen. A great quarterback or potentially great quarterback would not have played the way Tua did two years in a row in the most important game of the season. I have my doubts at this point. For me, it's not about taking a side, it's just what I'm seeing. Yesterday's game was all that mattered with what was at stake. This is two years in a row and it's becoming a trend. Even if we make the playoffs with him next year, what then? He pulls this in the wildcard game and we lose 31-3 again? Losing like this is the worst way to lose. True.. we never should have dug that 1-7 hole, but we did. We climbed out of it, beat a good Ravens team, but ALL that mattered was Yesterday's game. If this team wasn't going to be for real, then why tease like this? Go get the dog leash, ask your dog if he wants to take a walk....then hang the leash back up, and sit back down. That's torture, that's how I feel right now. Like the dog that thought he was gonna go for an awesome walk, maybe run a bit. Screw this. See you all next year.
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Roukforum_veteranWether we keep tua or not i wont argue either way. I will say this though, if we move off tua why would we let flores and grier make the decision on the new qb to get. The high turnover on offense staff over these years and from a front office perspective a clear miss on tua over herbert. Why would you let these same people make a call on a new qb. If they want to keep all of them and go with tua again i doubt many want that but it makes more sense than sending tua away and allowing these same people to pick the next qb. The current talent on offense is atrocious. No one can say otherwise.
I actually think the co-offensive coordinators + Charlie Frye should be commended. Our line was terrible. There are players on the line that are total busts. I blame the personnel department. The three amigos were essentially stuck with them.
Imagine being an offensive coordinator in a situation where you have terrible players on the line. It would be a nightmare trying to build an offense in spite of that. I think they were able to string a lot of positive yardage plays together. I expect significant changes on the line as well.
KeyFinforum_veteran"Rouk wrote:
The current talent on offense is atrocious. No one can say otherwise.
The thing is, we won 8 games with this offense...possibly even 9 if the team shows up for New England next week. Imagine if we had even an average offensive line and average NFL receivers. This would be a 12-13 win team year in, year out.
We are so close to being a legitimate contender...yet we're so far away at the same time. It's incredibly frustrating.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
KeyFinforum_veteran"tirty8 wrote:
I actually think the co-offensive coordinators + Charlie Frye should be commended. Our line was terrible. There are players on the line that are total busts. I blame the personnel department. The three amigos were essentially stuck with them.
Imagine being an offensive coordinator in a situation where you have terrible players on the line. It would be a nightmare trying to build an offense in spite of that. I think they were able to string a lot of positive yardage plays together. I expect significant changes on the line as well.
That was my point as well- what the heck do you do when you have zero protection, zero chemistry, zero run game and one reliable receiver, plus one reliable TE that can't block? They really did milk this offense for everything it was worth.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
RGFsubscriberSo I decided, against my better judgment, to re-watch the game.
Most notably the refs should be ashamed of themselves for being that partial in officiating an NFL game. Some of those calls were so one sided that it wasn't even close. The non DPI call was so embarrassingly bad and obvious that I had to rewind it multiple times to try and grasp just what the hell the refs were thinking. On the play there was illegal contact before the actual PI and neither was called. Ming boggling and pathetic.
Aside from the refs Tua was bad, real bad. I decided long ago to cut him some slack due to the inefficiencies around him and the whole severe Injury thing but he certainly put my support to the test big time. Yes, there were dropped passes but some of his throws were horrendous. He was missing open receivers by a large margin throwing the ball a few yards in front of or behind a receiver into the dirt. A lot of his throws were also high giving the receiver no chance to catch it. I'm disappointed in Tua because I put my trust in him to be a lot more competitive in a game of this magnitude. It was wet, I get it, but Tannehill made some damn good throws so I'm not going to use that as an excuse.
The D was very efficient until they realized it was a futile attempt to try and bail out the offense this time.
I have no clue where we go from here but I'm open to suggestions/changes and, sad to say, that includes the QB.
"Rouk wrote:
Wether we keep tua or not i wont argue either way. I will say this though, if we move off tua why would we let flores and grier make the decision on the new qb to get. The high turnover on offense staff over these years and from a front office perspective a clear miss on tua over herbert. Why would you let these same people make a call on a new qb. If they want to keep all of them and go with tua again i doubt many want that but it makes more sense than sending tua away and allowing these same people to pick the next qb. The current talent on offense is atrocious. No one can say otherwise.
The only QB we'd replace Tua with next year would be Watson, assuming legal issues are resolved. Otherwise, I think most likely you'll see Flores, Grier and Tua back next year with a playoffs or bust kind of expectation. Ross has been fairly consistent in letting coaches stay on for 3-4 years to prove themselves, but if they don't he gets rid of them. So if this group fails it will be a new GM and HC choosing a new QB.
Either way, it's not a total rebuild situation so we're definitely a lot closer than after Gase.
"RGF wrote:
The non DPI call was so embarrassingly bad and obvious that I had to rewind it multiple times to try and grasp just what the hell the refs were thinking. On the play there was illegal contact before the actual PI and neither was called. Ming boggling and pathetic.
Probably worth pointing out some statistics about ref bias. There is a well known ref bias against away teams, and it varies for different types of penalties. Pass interference is one of those you see bias against, though I think that non-DPI was sheer incompetence more than bias.
KeyFinforum_veteran"RGF wrote:
Aside from the refs Tua was bad, real bad.
Tua was throwing in the pouring down rain...which meant little grip on the football and little grip to catch it. The "mistake" was throwing in high volumes in the first place; we should have been running the ball all four quarters.
In any case, that wasn't typical Tua accuracy and it's not the game to judge his season on.
Winning football games at any level comes down to winning in the trenches.
RGFsubscriber"KeyFin wrote:
Tua was throwing in the pouring down rain...which meant little grip on the football and little grip to catch it. The "mistake" was throwing in high volumes in the first place; we should have been running the ball all four quarters.
In any case, that wasn't typical Tua accuracy and it's not the game to judge his season on.
It wasn't pouring down rain on every pass he attempted and some throws were just flat out bad. Its not always going to be perfect weather conditions late in the season on the road and it didn't appear Tua handled it very well.
Look, I'm not saying he has to go but I expected better from him regardless of weather.
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