Overall I really liked what I saw, but I'm going to try to analyze the game from a neutral standpoint. So don't think I'm going negative after beating the Pats in Week 1...because I'm absolutely ecstatic. Honestly, if I were a millionaire I'd throw the Fins a parade...couldn't be more proud.
- The defense was incredible all the way around. Particularly in the 2nd half, they were lighting people up on every play and Brady was clearly off his game.
- I believe the unsung hero of the day was Vernon. Even though he only registered half a sack with Wake, he obliterated Brady in the 2nd quarter as he threw. Brady then missed his next three throws and stunk in the 2nd half....his hip/thigh was clearly hurting enough to keep him slightly off balance.
- Wake is an absolute monster! With 2 1/2 sacks and 2 strips (both on sacks), he was unblockable at times down the stretch. I haven't seen the official numbers but Brady was hurried on almost every play in the 2nd half.
- Finnegan got beat twice in the first half, but stayed cocky and looked much better closing out.
- The TD to Gronk was sad; Grimes was jogging behind him and made no effort. I know he was supposed to have help over the middle but still, he gave up and that's not very Grimes-like.
- Moreno is clearly an NFL-caliber starter. While Miller is faster, Moreno fights so much harder after contact and the offense runs smooth as silk when you're starting with a 2nd and 2. It drastically opened up our offense.
- Wallace dropped 2 potential TD passes and stepped out of bounds on a 3rd one. Sims dropped a TD pass too, plus there was a 4th TD strike to Hartline in the corner of the endzone with the defender all over him. Lots of dropped balls.
- On the other hand, Tannehill didn't show an ounce of improvement. Ball placement was still off throughout the game, although the throws were better in the 2nd half. He never once ran or scrambled either, which was a bit of a surprise.
- Tannehill's interception was a 5th deep TD pass we could have had, but he underthrew Wallace by a good 3-5 yards. No pressure on that play either so no excuses...he just choked. Several passes over the middle were also off target (but caught), and I'm not sure how we trust in a year 3 guy who can't get proper ball placement.
- The offensive line did excellent. With only one sack allowed and a couple of hurries, I was extremely impressed.
- Hartline got robbed today with no-calls. The horse-collar play in the 1st half was ridiculous...I was screaming at my TV for a flag! The one in the endzone was clearly PI as well, but that is what it is. Just know that the refs were not our friends today, although Tannehill did get a few "roughing" calls to go his way.
- Landry made a very daring grab while on the run with one punt return; he was lucky he has good hands. On another one, he backpedals before catching a short punt and gives up 21 yards in the process. He did have some decent returns and I still love the guy, but he made a few errors that could have hurt us bigtime.
- Finally, the blocked punt...it was nice to see special teams come through for us for a change. It was a bad snap (bounced off the ground) but still; great play and way to fall on the football.
- One last point. We're up by 10 with 3 minutes to go, and we're at the 20 yard line. Every play was a run, which is great with Moreno, and we end with 4th and goal at the 5. Although the field goal was the safe call, I would have preferred a bootleg by Tannehill or a shot at the flats. Going from 10 to 13 was only marginal protection, but going up 17 is a statement. I think we should have gone for it.
- Again, I think the early hits on Brady were ultimately the difference today, so I'd give the game ball to Wake and Vernon. Great job shutting Brady down.
- On the flip side, we left four touchdowns on the field with inaccurate throws and poor efforts. So even though we spanked our division rivals, there's still work to be done.
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CashInFist, Colmax, SICK and 8 others like this.
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Larryfinfan 17-0...Priceless Club Member
Well, gotta disagree with you on the Tanny INT...he was knocked off his rocker as he let go and couldn't step into the pass... As to the drops and missed passes, once they start to iron that stuff out, look out NFL...I think you bashed Tanny more than he deserved...if guys don't catch the ball when they should?????
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Agreed on most points. From my pov in the stands i was really frusterated tanny didnt keep it and run the ball himself on a hand full of plays.
mbsinmisc likes this. -
It's hard to see the whole field on TV, so that's one area where you definitely had the better view. I had thought the same thing though; there were several times where he looked, and looked, and looked...and one side of the field appeared to be wide open. Time will tell though; hard to be upset with a win.
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Some great points.
Moreno is beyond 'starting calibre'. Guy ran like a beast, first contact seemed like nothing to him. Second contact slowed him and he usually didn't go down until 3rd or 4th it seemed. Unreal.
For the negative points.
I would add Jimmy Wilson. Dude couldn't tackle annnnyyyybody! He was making Edelman and Kenbrell freakin Thompkins look like Alshon Jeffery and B Marshall. He is a real bad tackler... especially at safety.Phoenician Fan and KeyFin like this. -
I agree with most of you assessment. I think Tannehill was night and day different first half to the second. He was very inaccurate in that first half and looked great the second which is his M.O. at this point. It's scary to think how good they could be if they polished some of those things up.
I don't think what Moreno did for this offense could be talked about enough. He really gave this offense an attitude and dare I say swagger. The offensive line was loving blocking for him and Miller started running harder as well. -
I don't know, how to put it, some players are just players, some players move at a different speed
Wake/Moreno/YKY/ semi Satele..
I'd add CC9, thing is it is not his speed, it is his strength that sets him apart
Jelani Jenkins had a good game, next game just watch..he calls to mind the Jimmie Johnson players -
I thought I did mention Wilson in the 1st half, but then I looked back and saw that I forgot about him. You're absolutely right, he had a bad day AND he got lit up on that penalty. I'm a fan of Wilson though because he usually plays with a very high motor, so hopefully he bounces back. At least he's consistent with being inconsistent.Pennington's Limp Arm likes this.
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I was so discouraged after the 1st half, drops and fumbles and poor plays all around. I didn't like Wallace's fumble, but wondered if Tanny had put it more out in front (on this and several other passes) of Wallace then he might have had a better grip. Honestly I was ready to give up on Tanny after the 1st half and I have been a big fan of his.
DOLPHAN1 likes this. -
I think Tannehill was a little nervous and rusty during the first half. He got better as the game went on.
mbsinmisc likes this. -
First, I loved your post.
Next, however, while I would have loved to go up 17, that series did 2 things: first, the Pats used all their timeouts. Next, when you're down 10 you can play for overtime, and when you're down 13, you have to score 2 touchdowns. That's more than "marginal," IMO; it's huge, especially with the way the D-line was playing.RGF, unluckyluciano, roy_miami and 1 other person like this. -
He is a decent cover guy, but he just can't tackle in space. I don't think he has that safety 'toughness'.
But focusing on the positive, backup linebackers did step up and make tackles, along with being solid in coverage.mbsinmisc likes this. -
No, I think it was absolutely the smart call to make...and I don't disagree with running it on every play up until that point. It was beautiful eating those time outs.
With almost 3 minutes left though, you have to think that your 10 point lead is safe enough. If you don't feel that it's enough, then adding the extra 3 is not enough either, because you're still at a 2 possession game either way. The flip side to that is believing that 10 points is enough for a victory, and in that case....why not run a trick play and push the score to 17? That's my thoughts anyway, and I realize that it's flawed logic. You take the points every time, but I'd really would have loved to run the score up even more. -
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We don't know for sure who was suspended for what, so there's no way to answer that. Once the new legislation passes though, the NFL has already said that they'd reinstate anyone who falls into that marginal category between the old standards and the new ones. The media thinks that will include both our guys, but they're guessing just like we are.
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The Gronk TD wasn't on Grimes, it looked like Trusnick blew the coverage.
MikeHoncho, Fin-Omenal, DOLPHAN1 and 5 others like this. -
I 100% agree with you....but everyone in the stadium, including Grimes, knew it was going to Gronk once he cut across the field. So while I don't fault him, I'm very surprised that he didn't make the play when he saw it coming. He wouldn't have kept jogging after him if he didn't expect that.dolfan22 likes this.
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Pouncey will likely replace one of the guards from what I'm watching. Satele outplayed them both (watching a recording).
Phoenician Fan and dolfan22 like this. -
dolfan22 Season Ticket Holder Club Member
I think they will call a run by 17 , or should. Get him some safe yards and get his legs going forward , take some hesitancy away ,that is something I hope becomes a component of his game , it will be a big big plus. -
I read an article this morning that said likely no one is getting reinstated... http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24698973/nfl-nflpa-making-progress-but-amnesty-for-players-very-unlikely
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It depends on if those were true run-option plays or not...but they looked like they were. In the run option, the QB extends the ball out to his RB as he eyes the defensive end. If the DE is crashing down on the RB, the QB should pull the ball back and take off around the corner. If the DB stays at home, he's supposed to hand off the ball.
If you watch each offensive series, especially in the 4th quarter, you see Moreno getting hit by the DE in the backfield....which didn't matter because Moreno was a true stud. The correct play would have been a Tannehill keeper on those downs, plus on any that the end did not stay at home. Again, I'm not trying to be critical of Tannehill but these were mistakes.djphinfan likes this. -
This is my biggest thing I saw collectively as my biggest gripe/concern as a team. Tannehill's game numbers would be much better had the receivers not dropped so many passes
I do not concur. With the exception of the INT in the attemp to Wallace, I thought he showed improvement from last year. Quicker decisions, accuracy, better leadership and game management has all improved from a year ago. It wasn't a great performance, he still has room for improvement and has a long way to go. But I did see progress.MAFishFan likes this. -
Maybe he was responsible for a different part of the field?
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i thought tannehill played pretty damn well in the second half, he just had a lot of drops.
MAFishFan and PhinFan1968 like this. -
I agree with this. I'm a Clemons fan. Have always liked him better than R Jones. That said, I don't think Jimmy Wilson played as bad as some others in the thread seem to think.unluckyluciano likes this.
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They were pretty open to putting Misi at MLB. I don't think they're opposed to making changes. I'd actually look at replacing LG with Pouncey. Smith as he gains more playing time will likely be the better player than Colledge.
dolfan22 likes this. -
If it were me making the call, I'd want the 5 best pass blockers comprising the OL.MikeHoncho and Fin-Omenal like this.
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Tough to say who that is just yet. I'd suspect Smith is the weakest pass blocker out of the interior guys.
The interesting thing about Satele is that he's not going to push you out of the way but he will anchor well enough that he can give you a crease to go through and then run up the field. He held up well against Wilfork when he tried to bull rush him. -
The one he tipped into the air, that would have been an easy TD if he immediately kept looking. The other was a crossing route that would have had him with one man to beat/juke around the 10 yard line...so that one wasn't a guarantee.
My bigger point to that statement was that there were 4 TD passes left on the field today, which means the final score COULD HAVE BEEN 61-20 Miami. When I said that Tannehill hasn't progressed, I wasn't trying to be critical negative, because he was darn good last year in most situations. I only meant that the "progression" we were expecting would have been to hit those deep balls and middle routes more accurately. -
I would too. In a zone scheme, Pouncey should be as effective run blocking as Smith, but better pass blocking. So I'd put him at RG. It isn't likely to happen though. Even though Satele hasn't played G since his junior year in college, I'd guess it is more likely he got moved to guard than Pouncey playing there.
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Im pretty sure the defender tipped it and not Wallace. Having played WR with a helmet on I can tell you that when you see the defenders hand flash in front of the ball like that 95% of the time it's going down to the ground and it's also not easy to actually see where the tip goes. Everything moves very quickly and a blink or change in head position can make you lose it.
I dont blame Wallace for not making a circus catch.KeyFin and Fin-Omenal like this. -
Well there are a few concerns, like the LBs. The WRs are solid but not game changers, mainly because we don't have a true #1. But still slightly above average. And Tannehill is a ball of confusion. He was mediocre, some passes being behind (the INT that should've been an easy TD) and too far ahead, but we'll see if he can build a better game as the season goes on.
Bills road game will be a good test considering the sweep last year. -
There is plenty of concern on the negative side for the offense and defense. Since we have read all the Moreno and defense praise I'm just going to point out the negative that has not been adequately discussed.
Poor Exchange between Tannehill and Moreno causes a fumble that Moreno recovered but the real negative was the next play and the missed block by Moreno that almost ended Tannehill's season on a dirty hit.
We go up 7 to 0 and after a 3 and out and a blocked punt and we let the Pats Dink and Dunk to a TD. It continues in the 2nd qtr and we have them backed up inside their 10 yard line and they convert a 3rd and 10 by running the ball. I saw several missed tackles on that run. At that point, before our D started to create turnovers, we had very few offensive plays.
What is wrong with Richard Mathews. Can he not pick up a football. If we had not gotten a TD after the blocked punt, we would know why Mathews stays in the dog house.
Do we have a WR coach? The drops by Clay and Sims were inexcusable because they were two passes that Tannehill placed perfectly.
We lost the best strength and conditioning coach last year and I wonder if our LBs are sissies or really injured due to poor conditioning.
Overall it can be argued that there are plenty of inconsistancies with the Offense and Defense. If not for the resolve that they were not going to lose this game, which they don't always have, a strong case could be made that this team is no different than other mediocre teams that we have fielded over the past decade that have won games they shouldn't and lost games they should have won. -
Patriots are on their way out I think?
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