Positives
* Ryan Tannehill: We heard all week how great the Arizona D is. Those people IMO are right. Yet, versus a fierce opponent in a hostile environment, Tannehill shouldered the load. He kept the team in the right plays and was not a confused by them as much as say...Michael Vick or Tom Brady. I was impressed with the poise that he showed in both success and adversity.
* Ryan Tannehill showed accuracy. He made some big time throws in tight coverage. Maybe for a week we can put to bed the talk of him losing the strike zone.
* Brian Hartline was money. Unreal day. He is a legit NFL receiver.
* Bess was spot on today as well. Clutch catches and seemed to be always open
* Props to Reggie Bush for getting himself ready to play and gutting things out
* The pass pro was good. It did leak in some big spots, but that is a big-time D and four sacks on 41 drop backs is not awful.
* Run D: 28 yards for Arizona. Dominating performance.
* Pass Rush: 8 sacks
* Cam Wake was a beast and feasted on a bad RT
* Sean Smith: 2 picks and did an admirable job vs one the best receivers in the game. Both were critical picks that ended with the offense getting points.
* 3rd down D was outstanding. Cards had a 25% success rate
* The team tackling Peterson who was about to score. By not letting him in, it set up Smith's big play. Great hustle and effort.
* Philbin's call to go for it on 4th down. I was calling for a kick. Joe was right. Plus, it was a money play call to get the ball in the end zone.
* Sherman's 2 point conversion call was a thing of beauty.
* Team finished the 2nd half well for the first time this year. Got the pick and moved the ball down for a FG.
* Sherman had a masterful game plan vs. a highly touted defense. The team and rookie QB were ready. Things were great except for one call...
* Philbin's decision to leave early seemed to pay off.
Negatives
* Lost turnover battle 4 to 2. It cannot happen. The Fins had chances to get fumbles and did not. As well as RT played, he must start to limit his turnovers. It will come in time, but in the short-term it is a killer.
* Legedu Naanee is brutal. He cannot be active the rest of the year. What a critical turnover.
* Inexcusable 2nd and 8 play call with 2:58 left. The team was running the ball well and about to force Arizona to use TO's. Unbelievably, they call a pass play in which they fumble. Give the ball to your best player and do what you do best. Even it ended with a punt, you would have forced Arizona to go 80 yards. Backbreaker of play call.
* Missed a handful of fumbles from Arizona kick and punt returners. Could have been game changers
* First time this year that the team had a hard time getting plays in. They had to burn TO's. Maybe it was the tough road environment or the exotic D they were facing.
* Daniel Thomas is playing scared.
* Too many DB's have their back turned with the ball in the air. I does happen, but too much to this group. They have no chance to play the ball so it leads to a catch or a PI
* Too many penalties on returns. It does not help that Thigpen runs opposite of the blocking scheme
* Thigpen needs to catch the ball in the air. He let two punts by my count bounce and costed the team close to 25 yards. You notice that Bess was out there late. This team must win the field position battle and him letting the ball hit is not acceptable.
* Carpenter: tough 50 yarder, but he is struggling nonetheless. He is hooking his makes and the 50 yard miss was a huge game changing play.
* Horse crap spot on a 3rd down run by Lane.
Overall Assessment
* Until the Fins get better with the Turnover Differential they are not going to win. They have to be at least plus 2 if they are to win. Negative 2...no chance.
* The effort and attention to detail was good after a heartbreaker last week vs. the Jets
* Those people that are arguing that a Plaxico Burress or Jabbar Gaffney could not be an upgrade over Anthony Armstrong or Legedu Naanee are out to lunch. Armstrong was a ghost and Naanee had one of the worst plays I have seen in the NFL.
* The team showed mental toughness after a ton of adversity...
* However, they need to find a way to close. It was an issue in the previous regime and still is today. Someone needs to step fwd and close. Who wants to be the stopper?
* At least the Jets were shutout today
* Ryan Tannehill: We heard all week how great the Arizona D is. Those people IMO are right. Yet, versus a fierce opponent in a hostile environment, Tannehill shouldered the load. He kept the team in the right plays and was not a confused by them as much as say...Michael Vick or Tom Brady. I was impressed with the poise that he showed in both success and adversity.
* Ryan Tannehill showed accuracy. He made some big time throws in tight coverage. Maybe for a week we can put to bed the talk of him losing the strike zone.
* Brian Hartline was money. Unreal day. He is a legit NFL receiver.
* Bess was spot on today as well. Clutch catches and seemed to be always open
* Props to Reggie Bush for getting himself ready to play and gutting things out
* The pass pro was good. It did leak in some big spots, but that is a big-time D and four sacks on 41 drop backs is not awful.
* Run D: 28 yards for Arizona. Dominating performance.
* Pass Rush: 8 sacks
* Cam Wake was a beast and feasted on a bad RT
* Sean Smith: 2 picks and did an admirable job vs one the best receivers in the game. Both were critical picks that ended with the offense getting points.
* 3rd down D was outstanding. Cards had a 25% success rate
* The team tackling Peterson who was about to score. By not letting him in, it set up Smith's big play. Great hustle and effort.
* Philbin's call to go for it on 4th down. I was calling for a kick. Joe was right. Plus, it was a money play call to get the ball in the end zone.
* Sherman's 2 point conversion call was a thing of beauty.
* Team finished the 2nd half well for the first time this year. Got the pick and moved the ball down for a FG.
* Sherman had a masterful game plan vs. a highly touted defense. The team and rookie QB were ready. Things were great except for one call...
* Philbin's decision to leave early seemed to pay off.
Negatives
* Lost turnover battle 4 to 2. It cannot happen. The Fins had chances to get fumbles and did not. As well as RT played, he must start to limit his turnovers. It will come in time, but in the short-term it is a killer.
* Legedu Naanee is brutal. He cannot be active the rest of the year. What a critical turnover.
* Inexcusable 2nd and 8 play call with 2:58 left. The team was running the ball well and about to force Arizona to use TO's. Unbelievably, they call a pass play in which they fumble. Give the ball to your best player and do what you do best. Even it ended with a punt, you would have forced Arizona to go 80 yards. Backbreaker of play call.
* Missed a handful of fumbles from Arizona kick and punt returners. Could have been game changers
* First time this year that the team had a hard time getting plays in. They had to burn TO's. Maybe it was the tough road environment or the exotic D they were facing.
* Daniel Thomas is playing scared.
* Too many DB's have their back turned with the ball in the air. I does happen, but too much to this group. They have no chance to play the ball so it leads to a catch or a PI
* Too many penalties on returns. It does not help that Thigpen runs opposite of the blocking scheme
* Thigpen needs to catch the ball in the air. He let two punts by my count bounce and costed the team close to 25 yards. You notice that Bess was out there late. This team must win the field position battle and him letting the ball hit is not acceptable.
* Carpenter: tough 50 yarder, but he is struggling nonetheless. He is hooking his makes and the 50 yard miss was a huge game changing play.
* Horse crap spot on a 3rd down run by Lane.
Overall Assessment
* Until the Fins get better with the Turnover Differential they are not going to win. They have to be at least plus 2 if they are to win. Negative 2...no chance.
* The effort and attention to detail was good after a heartbreaker last week vs. the Jets
* Those people that are arguing that a Plaxico Burress or Jabbar Gaffney could not be an upgrade over Anthony Armstrong or Legedu Naanee are out to lunch. Armstrong was a ghost and Naanee had one of the worst plays I have seen in the NFL.
* The team showed mental toughness after a ton of adversity...
* However, they need to find a way to close. It was an issue in the previous regime and still is today. Someone needs to step fwd and close. Who wants to be the stopper?
* At least the Jets were shutout today