Suddenly all of us are excited and talking playoffs again. Three wins combined with a Baltimore loss somewhere along the way makes the playoffs almost a lock (don't call me out yet cBrad, just go with it for a moment). =) And the way we've played the last two weeks, those two things are very well within the realm of possibility.
Just for the heck of it, let's say we win out and make the playoffs. And to make this a little more fun, let's say we even win a playoff game or two. Super Bowl champs if you wish...go nuts with letting your imagination fill in the blanks from there. But whatever you dream up, it's going to be considered a very successful season without our starting quarterback.
Only, for us to win three more games and have any success in the playoffs, that means we will have to see the Jay Cutler from the past two weeks at least 4 more times. That's a Jay Cutler who's averaged a 94.4 QBR over the past two games, which is good for about 12th in league averages....only because he had two picks against Denver (thanks Parker!). In this recent span he's played like a top 10 quarterback and some might argue even a top 5.
My question is- what the heck do we do next year at QB if we make the playoffs this season? It would be insane to carry Cutler and Moore on the bench, and it would be even more insane to cut Moore and actually get older at QB. And what if Cutler somehow out-performed RT in training camp? It opens up all kinds of questions that I don't think any of us want to answer.
I thought it would be an interesting discussion anyway since all of us are now rooting for Cutler to be lights-out these next three weeks. But then do we just toss him aside in the off-season if he manages to deliver? I know it sounds strange but Cutler has grown on me....I think I like him behind center and I've grown to respect him as a QB. I just don't want him here three months from now.
By the way, I couldn't find the weekly QB rankings to see how Cutler matched up this week. The Denver game was a 74.4 with the two Parker picks so we know he didn't rank well there. But I'm curious if his 112.1 is tops for this week.
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Irishman likes this.
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Easy answer for me and that's Moore is cooked. I've always liked him but he's now a gunslinger w faded arm-strength and very little mobility who's making a very generous salary.
I'm hoping for Tan/Cutler and a young 3rd QB for next season. Would be very surprised if Cutler goes elsewhere or we move on from Ryan. -
Cutler said about three weeks ago that he's having a lot of fun and would definitely return, and we know Gase is nuts over the guy. So he's certainly available but would he take a minimal salary as a probable backup? That's the big question I think.
Also, I would be okay with cutting Moore to bring in a talented rookie (it pains me to say that!)...BUT what happens then? Moore signs with New England because that's how Belichick rolls. They love to sign for insight and nobody has more of it on our roster than Moore. If you're in his shoes though, do you retire OR sit the bench with a contender? Or do you get ballsy and try to start in Cleveland?
It would kill me to see Moore as a Patriot.Irishman likes this. -
WHY WHY WHY? Haven't we been here before? Why can't you just wait? There are glaring holes on this team still. Just like last year, if they make the playoffs, it's one and done. There are still major front office, coaching and personnel issues on this team. Miami fans fall in love with small seeds of success way too much. A little biota success does not equate to longevity or sustainability.
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Money and competition.
Tannehill will be coming back young but from injury. Cutler, if he puts on a show in the next games, is old but will have shown ability.
The Dolphins will face a gamble with both. How will Tannehill respond physically, will he prove resilient or now injury liable? Cutler, he's old, he retired, no matter how good he is, he won't have that many years in him.
All else being equal, best case scenario, you get Tannehill and Cutler into camp and have them compete. You talk with Cutler about his mindset and interest - would he accept a reserve role at all and for how much money? Then you look at your others. If Cutler is happy on the bench, for a decent price, then you consider trading Moore.
Either way, I think you try to draft a QB somewhere (as you generally always should, IMO). Then you let the new guy compete with everyone.
TLDR - bring back everyone who wants to play and have them compete. Best man wins.
Cutler's major down-side, even if he balls out from here onward, is his age - and his price tag.
This team still belongs to Tannehill IMO. Unless his knee is shot or someone better and young comes along. Cutler is too old for the Phins to see him as anything but a reserve or stop gap if Ryan's knee is done. -
We stick to the plan at QB. This game was awesome! Cutler looked like an elite QB in it. However, this is Cutler's m.o. When Cutler was looking awful early in the season, I pretty much stated that we would have a couple of games that makes you forget the body of work and fixate on the "potential". That's how he has survived in the league as long as he has. He isn't a different QB after this game, its just one of the many up games of his career.
Can Cutler string together enough good games to win out the season? Its possible, perhaps he even plays well in a playoff game if we make it. The problem is, at this stage in his career, we know what Cutler is. If you want him to do well you need to have a monster running game and a solid defense, and let Cutler ride the momentum. If you ask him to lead the way, you will get uneven performances.
The good news is, the rest of the dolphins are starting to show signs of figuring things out. I don't remember a time in the last 10 years that I have been this impressed with our young talent. I feel like they are actually getting coached up, and are GROWING as players. Before Gase got here it just felt like most of our young players came in showed flashes of talent, and then stalled out on improvements. I have always put alot of that blame on the FO, but maybe the coaching was really bad, or maybe both were really bad. I'm just glad to see positives moving forward.Irishman, Puka-head, Aqua4Ever04 and 2 others like this. -
If the Dolphins stop playing press\attack defense they won't beat anyone. That is the key there for the rest of the season. If they press like in the New England game they can beat anyone. On the flip side, if they don't anyone can beat them.
KeyFin and bigballa2102 like this. -
neither does your plan. just because a team "blows it up" doesn't translate to better success down the road.Irishman, jdallen1222, Fin D and 1 other person like this.
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if we are counting on baltimore losing, I'm cynical. THey play the Browns, bengals and colts to end the season.KeyFin and bigballa2102 like this.
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you might as well put the ravens in the playoffs at this point, the teams to watch will be chiefs chargers tennessee
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there should be no change in the gameplan by beating the patriots, even if we make the playoffs, in a down year for all nfl teams except a handful of teams, this team hasn't put together a month of games we can honestly hang are hat on. Its easy to get pumped up for the pats and even more so a Monday night game against the pats. and to get excited about beating vance joseph is over blowing the team lol.
However if we go on a streak and amck the next 3 opponents then I may change my stance.
we still need to draft a qb, I like moore as a backup but I honestly think we need a qb competition and stop just handing it RT. Cutler even though he had a good game against the pats still has major flaws and by no means do I want him taking snaps next year, Ill take RT over cutler any day of the week but I also think its time to stop babying RT and have someone compete for his job he is not our franchise guy and we need to draft a rb and a qb preferably a qb and move up to get one. now that Mayfield won the Heisman you can rule him out he will be a top 3. but I think in FA we need to get lb and maybe another lineman. IMO -
I think the two wins are big but we seem to be going a little head in the clouds thinking Baltimore will lose against any of those daffodils and we'll get to the playoffs and win. Just saying. Maybe the oompaloompas can wrangle a unicorn and we can all dance in it's rainbow pee and rub it's horn for luck while we dance near the pot of gold we find on St. Patty's day too.
Cutler is at best an inconsistently good qb. Sure, he's played well and I love it in the last couple games. But, structuring any long term plans around him and doing anything other than keeping him as backup would be an absolutely horrible decision. He wont want to be a backup so he'll go and be an announcer again.
With that said, I hope I'm wrong and we get to the playoffs. Just want temper the hyper optimism a little. -
Key was only asking a general " what if " question. He never insinuated that we're well on our way to playoff success this year. We get that your master plan is to "blow up", this team with "glaring holes" since you mention it daily but ,as a fan having fun, Key was only toying around with mathematical possibilities and possible outcomes. I'll go out on a limb and say he truly realizes the playoffs are no doubt a reach this year but what he posted was fair game.
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The only answer is keeping Tannehill. imo. He's the better QB and we cant take the chance that Cutler is going to play like he has the last couple of games.
KeyFin likes this. -
You started the "fire everyone" chants when we were 4-2 and haven't stopped. I suggested a "what if" situation that we'll have to deal with one way or the other anyway and you're saying I need to wait? Regardless whether Cutler is great/horrible over the next three games, we still have to make some QB decisions in 3 weeks and someone is getting fired.
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appreciate it as always Arod, but until we get the Oline at least up to an average level, we won't be beating great teams in the playoffs. Like Travis mentioned, we outcoached NE (which is fun for a change), but it helps that they lack a pass rush and something I think that will keep them from winning the SB again.Irishman likes this.
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did I say top to bottom, mr"I don't know how to read a post?"
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ha, with the offensive line we have?
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when did I say the owner? Please point to the post or really you have nothing to provide
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The thing is, we heard from the get-go that this was the plan in Gase's offense, and we certainly saw that last year on our win streak with Tannehill and Moore. By design, we limit our QB weaknesses and give them some easy throws to grab those chunk yards, so I think it's unfair to single out Cutler for doing the same thing.
Now, I agree with you- Cutler didn't do anything magical except for a few beautiful throws to Grant/Drake (the dropped one still hurts!) and a couple of times escaping pressure (the spin move/throw was AWESOME). But he still deserves a world of credit for playing the game manager role perfectly against a team that doesn't lose. On an average year, we could go 11-5 under a guy like that (if he wasn't getting old, if he wasn't so inconsistent game to game, etc.).
Cutler is what he is, a once potential great who never had the patience and is now rewriting the last chapter of his legacy. I'm personally rooting for the guy (1) because he's a Dolphin so we have no choice and (2) because it would make the perfect ending to a career if the guy could get us to the playoffs and make a little noise. It's the perfect fairytale ending and I'm sappy like that- I was rooting for Manning the other year (against my hometown Panthers) for the exact same reason.
Monday night was what 2017 was supposed to be though and I'm already starting to get pumped for 2018. I want Tannehill back something fierce but for now, Cutler is 100% my guy and I'll take a performance like that any day of the week.Irishman, Aqua4Ever04 and dolphin25 like this. -
You start an average of two posts a day, and almost every single one of them is about firing or replacing someone. And that's just on your main account. Do you really expect him to go through your last 500 threads to quote you when you never stop with that stuff?Irishman likes this.
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I start posts everyday and it gets volume. speaks well for my outside thinking, thanks.
I never said replace Ross, the entire point of my post, as Fin D, again is allowed to spread lies about my posts. You want to save bandwidth? How about looking at his posts, and realizing he dictates the conclusions drawn by other posters. He tells them what to think what their posts meant.dolphin25 likes this. -
by the way, the harassment from you and Fin D on my multiple accounts are annoying. I have one account. Next time I am accused of having multiple, you will be reporteddolphin25 likes this.
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Go ahead and report me if you feel you need to. I have a few things myself that I think the mods would be interested in knowing about.
And hey, anytime you want to actually talk football, that's what we're all here for. You're so focused on talking about who should be fired that you never seem to get around to actually talking about games or actual plays.Fin D likes this. -
Talent-wise, I think Cutler was once far better than Tannehill...his arm was undeniably the strongest in decades. But he didn't have the other stuff, the intangibles, and I think he was shooting himself in the foot from day one. I don't know if I'd put him in the bottom tier because the potential has always been there, we've just never seen it consistently and that's the whole problem.
I do agree that Tannehill is on another level though today- there's no question about that. A part of me still thinks that Cutler can play at that level when he really wants to though and the stage is set perfectly....that's the benefit and the curse all in one.Irishman likes this. -
Coming out of college, the scouting report was elite vision, elite arm strength, excellent pocket presence, excellent mobility in the pocket. It seemed like he had everything and the folks that played with him insisted that he was the best they ever saw, from high school to college to the pros. So talent-wise, I think he was a dream QB that had almost everything you could ask for.....it just never developed.
He did go through a ton of coaches though (much like Tannehill) and I think that slows a player down as much as anything. If you watch his highlight reels of when he was on though, you'd swear he's headed to the HOF. But then you see the other highlights and you wonder how he ever made a roster.
So let me clarify- other than occasional games, Cutler has never played far better than Tannehill. I meant he had a far better core skillset and never used it to his advantage for whatever reason.Irishman likes this. -
I meant to say he had far better tools...and we did occasionally see them in games. Some of the passes he's completed in non-existent windows just blow your mind. But we've never seen the complete body of work for a stretch of games- that's the whole problem. He'd make you fall in love one day and you'd be ready to chase him out of town the next.
I'll put it this way. His weakest skill by far is consistency, which was why he fit so well with Gase on a very tight leash. -
why are you so hurt when someone criticizes Tannehill?
The guy has been mediocre and your assumption he would have done well this year is mere speculation
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