Dolphins Offensive Line Gaining Steam… Just In Time | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Dolphins Offensive Line Gaining Steam… Just In Time

DKphin

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If the Offensive Line performs like against Atlanta, Dolphins will earn a “W”
The Miami Dolphins Offensive Line has been their true Achilles heel for many years now. The have had their moments, mainly last season when Mike Pouncey was healthy and Jay Ajayi was able to rack up 3 games of 200 plus yards on the ground. However, those moments have been few and far between.
Then Last week before their sixth game of the season a shocking and embarrassing video hit social media that showed the Dolphins Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster snorting cocaine before a team meeting. Quickly after, Foerster resigned. This was yet another drama to their long list of issues for this season.
But here comes the good news, against the Falcons the Dolphins Offensive Line unit had their best performances of the entire season. Miami’s OL was able to prevent the Falcons from sacking Jay Cutler, while also creating running lanes for Jay Ajayi to rack up 130 rushing yards. Amazingly, neither Laremy Tunsil nor Ja’Wuan James gave up even a pressure the entire game according to PFF.
In addition, they were able to do this after Pro Bowl Center Pouncey was forced to leave the game with concussion like symptoms in the second half. Jake Brendel stepped in and didn’t miss a beat. Many feel Brendel even added a spark to the Dolphins game as the offense produced all its points with him snapping the ball.
http://www.phinsnews.com/miami-dolphins-news-dolphins-offensive-line-gaining-steam-just-time/
 
The Falcons are 100 times better than the Jets. Atlanta plays N.E. tonight. Maybe they were looking past us a bit preparing for a Super Bowl rematch. The second half of the Falcon game is the exact style we need on a go forward basis. Quick passes, Ajayi blasting through holes along with a few deep shots to keep defenses honest. They will crowd the box and do everything in their power to take away the run. When teams are determined to stop the run they have to throw a ton of assets right around the line of scrimmage. If we could run anyway that would be amazing. In the first quarter the Jets are going to throw 8 or 9 in the box. If they are smothering our run game then we are FORCED to throw. I want a running game that succeeds even though the D is doing everything in their power to stop it. Look at some old footage of the 1972 Dolphin's team. Teams tried to stop Larry Czonka but he just kept coming. We must stick with the run game as our bread and butter. If we can't run the ball it will be a repeat of the first game. Our passing attack is not ready to carry the team. I think our defense will hold the Jets to something like 16 points. If the offense can't put up 17 we deserve to lose the game. If we get swept by the Jet's we would have to admit that we just aren't a very good Football team. That better not happen!
 
Jets have a better dline front. Falcons d is athletic but overrated. Not much instincts at lb just rediculous range.

Patriots are murdering lb levels with slot skill set WRs working in the middle of the field and flats vs them. Probably gonna see it again tonight
 
Last game Ajayi had 11 carries for 16 yards. This can't happen. We must get some push in the run game early. That would be a huge step toward normalizing this offense around a power running game. Why do we match up so badly against the Jets DT's? Hoops, do you like Brendal?
 
Jets will put 8 man in the box. Absolutely not letting Ajayi to run. Gase as usual will try to get Ajayi going early. Then let see how the Iine perform. Today's game will tell.
 
Last week, Miami couldn't score until the second half when Pouncey wasn't playing. Coincidence?
 
Nice to see improvement, especially from Tunsil who was really disappointing in the first four games.

This still remains Miami's biggest weakness, though. It's great to follow the Patriots model in some ways, but going on the cheap for guards hasn't worked for the Dolphins and the team struggles to find talent at the position in the middle to late rounds. It's got to be a premium pick come next draft.
 
So we had a decent game against the Falcons, lets see how the Oline plays for the next three or four weeks before we get our hopes up to much.
 
...and the team struggles to find talent at the position in the middle to late rounds.

Why is this? Other teams can field decent o-lines without using 1st round picks on every position. Miami can't even do it using several 1st round picks! Is it poor scouting? Poor talent evaluation? I think they had better results before Philbin arrived and they changed to wanting an athletic "finesse" type of lineman.
 
Why is this? Other teams can field decent o-lines without using 1st round picks on every position. Miami can't even do it using several 1st round picks! Is it poor scouting? Poor talent evaluation? I think they had better results before Philbin arrived and they changed to wanting an athletic "finesse" type of lineman.

I don't know why the offensive line has been such a problem for so long. You mention systems and that's likely part of the problem, changing so many coaches and philosophies, going in different directions every couple of years.

For the longest time, Miami struggled to get quality receivers. That changed recently so hopefully the same can happen on the offensive line. That said, Landry was a second round pick, Parker a first and Stills was acquired in a trade for a third round pick. So those were all high draft picks and, to an extent, the jury is still out on Parker.
 
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