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Well folks… The bye week is here. The latest bye week in NFL history I might add. With that being the case, I decided to grade the team on their progress up to this point for discussion’s sake. After reading this post…..see if you can spot the theme. Now….I’m absolutely sure there will be a few grades you disagree with. As always, these are my opinions and do not represent the opinions of management. So with that…. on to the grades.:
QB’s — B - : This was a C +…. However, the Holiday Season and the stellar play of Tua lately has me feeling all warm inside. The future is definitely bright in Miami. Tua is hitting on 70.9% of his passes. That’s good…. I don’t care what offense you’re running. He has a 2 to 1 TD to Int ratio. His play the last few games has been fun to watch. Taking into account the inferior talent surrounding him and you have numbers that are pretty astounding in my book. I mean….Who doesn’t want their quarterback at a 96.1 rating? Exciting times have returned to our team boys and girls….And if Santa can fit a good OL onto his sleigh….The rest of this year and next year will be exciting to watch. As for Jacoby Brissett, he is an average and serviceable backup. I doubt he’ll be here next year…. But as for his play… He has a 78.1 QBR. I’d like to say he can do better than that….But to be honest, I hope we don’t find out.
RB’s — D + : Some will say this is a harsh grade….And there can be a case made for that. However, consider this: We’re 13 games into the season with 4 left and ALL of the rushes to this point have resulted in 1,030 yards. Obviously, the putrid OL goes into account here. But….Our backs aren’t breaking tackles. They’ve missed blitz pickups. On top of that, Ahmad and Gaskin account for only 334 yards of receiving. Gaskin has a measly 526 yards rushing for 40.5 a game. Again, that’s just not enough. While I like Gaskin and Ahmad’s effort, they’re just not what we need in the backfield long term. This has to be a point of emphasis this off-season.
TE’s — C + : I have to admit, I’m a big fan of Gesicki. I just am. The Penn State product has nabbed 59 Balls for 642 yards so far this year. Some of his catches are highlight material and the sad part about it is, he’s not signed for next year. That’s inexcusable in my book. He’s a clutch receiver. Period. As for the rest of the TE room, Durham Smythe has been very good in spots this year. 25 catches for 253 yards isn’t bad for a 2nd TE. Shaheen has 12 grabs for 110 yards too. Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidate Hunter Long has an amazing 1 grab for 2 yards. I still don’t know why we took him at that spot in the draft. Hopefully, I’m as wrong about him as I was Jaelan Phillips. Regardless, not a bad effort from this unit….And I’m sure with improved OL play…This unit will continue to play solidly for the rest of the year.
WR’s — D : Will Fuller’s 4 grabs for 8 yards are enough for the ‘F’ for these guys. What a disappointment. Then you add in the always injured Parker and there is no doubt this is a failing unit. BUT THEN….Jaylen Waddle comes along and hits for 86 catches and 849 yards. Boom…You now have a ‘D’ grade and a piece to build around. The scary part is he really hasn’t gotten “loose” yet. He’s going to be a great receiver in the coming years. The rest of the room has been below average to be honest…..And if you think about it….Even with Parker healthy, Tua only has 2 targets that can make a difference and one of them hurts himself going to the refrigerator every other week. This has to be another point of emphasis this off-season.
OL — F : Those of you that have read these grades with any kind of regularity know my feelings on these clowns. But let’s look a little closer to the recipe for a total F. Take an underwhelming level of talent spread across an entire unit…Mix that with a first year coach who has no idea what he’s doing….Then add multiple OC’s who are clueless as to what they’re trying to accomplish. Bake that for 13 games and you have the worst OL in the league and a straight up F. That being said, they are playing better lately. Is that because we’re playing horrible teams? Is it because of Tua getting rid of the ball in 2 nanoseconds? Or…Are they just improving? That’s up for debate obviously. Regardless, we are going to need at least 3 new linemen next year…..Maybe 4.
DL — C + : My justification for a C + here is that our D is currently ranked 21st in the league for scoring…And…We rank 23rd in the league for yards surrendered at 358.38 yds/game. Not good. On the positive side…We’re only giving up 103.85 yards/game on the ground. That’s 9th in the league. Saying this unit started off the year slow is like saying The Nazi’s weren’t very friendly people. They still don’t get enough pressure on the QB rushing only the front 4. They can be gashed on too many plays to the outside. But…Wilkins has picked it up lately. Ogbah leads the league in batted passes. Davis is coming on after being injured early in the year and even Sieler is even picking it up lately. My hope is that this unit keeps improving and starts off the year a little quicker in ‘22.
LB’s — C + : I mentioned that the DL started of the year slowly….The LB’s we’re like “Hold my Beer”. They were really non-existent for the first half of the year. But they’ve really picked it up lately. Baker is making plays again. Van Ginko is all over the place. And of course…. Jaelan Phillips leads the team with 8.5 sacks. Again, it’s been a nice 3 or 4 game stretch…But where was this kind of play in September and October?? I guess you could rack it up to coaching….Maybe the quality of opponent…But whatever it is….They’ve come along lately and avoided a ‘D’ grade.
DB’s — B : The highest graded unit on the team….And with good reason. They’re the highest paid unit on the team. Regardless, they’ve generally lived up to the hype. Like the rest of the defense, they also started a little slowly this year….But boy have they been good lately. X has 4 picks and he’s generally been good. Byron Jones doesn’t have any picks….But he’s been decent. However, the reason for the excitement is the Flying Dutchman Jevon Holland. What a rookie. Great attitude. Great skill. Home run by Grier on that pick.
ST’s — C - : Palardy has been below average all year except for the last 3 games. Then last week he’s the AFC ST player of the week? I guess we’ll take it. One guy that is still struggling a little is Sanders. He’s had a few misses this year. Hopefully, he gets out of his doldrums and gets back to the days of old and becomes the best kicker in the AFC again. Our return game and coverage units have been average in general and there’s just not a lot to say about them.
Coaching and Front Office — D : Those of you still reading this are sure to have spotted the theme. STARTING THE SEASON SLOWLY. I have no choice but to blame the coaching here. A refusal to run the Amoeba Defense. No real identity on offense. No originality anywhere. That’s where it’s sad. We’re playing great lately….But it’s probably a little too little and a little too late. We have to run the table after the bye. Is it impossible? No. But it is improbable. I guess We’ll see on that. As for Grier and the front office….It seems he hit it pretty big in the draft this year. So props there. However, it seems last year is going to end up being a little underwhelming except for Tua.
Thanks for reading my friends and enjoy the Bye Week.
QB’s — B - : This was a C +…. However, the Holiday Season and the stellar play of Tua lately has me feeling all warm inside. The future is definitely bright in Miami. Tua is hitting on 70.9% of his passes. That’s good…. I don’t care what offense you’re running. He has a 2 to 1 TD to Int ratio. His play the last few games has been fun to watch. Taking into account the inferior talent surrounding him and you have numbers that are pretty astounding in my book. I mean….Who doesn’t want their quarterback at a 96.1 rating? Exciting times have returned to our team boys and girls….And if Santa can fit a good OL onto his sleigh….The rest of this year and next year will be exciting to watch. As for Jacoby Brissett, he is an average and serviceable backup. I doubt he’ll be here next year…. But as for his play… He has a 78.1 QBR. I’d like to say he can do better than that….But to be honest, I hope we don’t find out.
RB’s — D + : Some will say this is a harsh grade….And there can be a case made for that. However, consider this: We’re 13 games into the season with 4 left and ALL of the rushes to this point have resulted in 1,030 yards. Obviously, the putrid OL goes into account here. But….Our backs aren’t breaking tackles. They’ve missed blitz pickups. On top of that, Ahmad and Gaskin account for only 334 yards of receiving. Gaskin has a measly 526 yards rushing for 40.5 a game. Again, that’s just not enough. While I like Gaskin and Ahmad’s effort, they’re just not what we need in the backfield long term. This has to be a point of emphasis this off-season.
TE’s — C + : I have to admit, I’m a big fan of Gesicki. I just am. The Penn State product has nabbed 59 Balls for 642 yards so far this year. Some of his catches are highlight material and the sad part about it is, he’s not signed for next year. That’s inexcusable in my book. He’s a clutch receiver. Period. As for the rest of the TE room, Durham Smythe has been very good in spots this year. 25 catches for 253 yards isn’t bad for a 2nd TE. Shaheen has 12 grabs for 110 yards too. Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidate Hunter Long has an amazing 1 grab for 2 yards. I still don’t know why we took him at that spot in the draft. Hopefully, I’m as wrong about him as I was Jaelan Phillips. Regardless, not a bad effort from this unit….And I’m sure with improved OL play…This unit will continue to play solidly for the rest of the year.
WR’s — D : Will Fuller’s 4 grabs for 8 yards are enough for the ‘F’ for these guys. What a disappointment. Then you add in the always injured Parker and there is no doubt this is a failing unit. BUT THEN….Jaylen Waddle comes along and hits for 86 catches and 849 yards. Boom…You now have a ‘D’ grade and a piece to build around. The scary part is he really hasn’t gotten “loose” yet. He’s going to be a great receiver in the coming years. The rest of the room has been below average to be honest…..And if you think about it….Even with Parker healthy, Tua only has 2 targets that can make a difference and one of them hurts himself going to the refrigerator every other week. This has to be another point of emphasis this off-season.
OL — F : Those of you that have read these grades with any kind of regularity know my feelings on these clowns. But let’s look a little closer to the recipe for a total F. Take an underwhelming level of talent spread across an entire unit…Mix that with a first year coach who has no idea what he’s doing….Then add multiple OC’s who are clueless as to what they’re trying to accomplish. Bake that for 13 games and you have the worst OL in the league and a straight up F. That being said, they are playing better lately. Is that because we’re playing horrible teams? Is it because of Tua getting rid of the ball in 2 nanoseconds? Or…Are they just improving? That’s up for debate obviously. Regardless, we are going to need at least 3 new linemen next year…..Maybe 4.
DL — C + : My justification for a C + here is that our D is currently ranked 21st in the league for scoring…And…We rank 23rd in the league for yards surrendered at 358.38 yds/game. Not good. On the positive side…We’re only giving up 103.85 yards/game on the ground. That’s 9th in the league. Saying this unit started off the year slow is like saying The Nazi’s weren’t very friendly people. They still don’t get enough pressure on the QB rushing only the front 4. They can be gashed on too many plays to the outside. But…Wilkins has picked it up lately. Ogbah leads the league in batted passes. Davis is coming on after being injured early in the year and even Sieler is even picking it up lately. My hope is that this unit keeps improving and starts off the year a little quicker in ‘22.
LB’s — C + : I mentioned that the DL started of the year slowly….The LB’s we’re like “Hold my Beer”. They were really non-existent for the first half of the year. But they’ve really picked it up lately. Baker is making plays again. Van Ginko is all over the place. And of course…. Jaelan Phillips leads the team with 8.5 sacks. Again, it’s been a nice 3 or 4 game stretch…But where was this kind of play in September and October?? I guess you could rack it up to coaching….Maybe the quality of opponent…But whatever it is….They’ve come along lately and avoided a ‘D’ grade.
DB’s — B : The highest graded unit on the team….And with good reason. They’re the highest paid unit on the team. Regardless, they’ve generally lived up to the hype. Like the rest of the defense, they also started a little slowly this year….But boy have they been good lately. X has 4 picks and he’s generally been good. Byron Jones doesn’t have any picks….But he’s been decent. However, the reason for the excitement is the Flying Dutchman Jevon Holland. What a rookie. Great attitude. Great skill. Home run by Grier on that pick.
ST’s — C - : Palardy has been below average all year except for the last 3 games. Then last week he’s the AFC ST player of the week? I guess we’ll take it. One guy that is still struggling a little is Sanders. He’s had a few misses this year. Hopefully, he gets out of his doldrums and gets back to the days of old and becomes the best kicker in the AFC again. Our return game and coverage units have been average in general and there’s just not a lot to say about them.
Coaching and Front Office — D : Those of you still reading this are sure to have spotted the theme. STARTING THE SEASON SLOWLY. I have no choice but to blame the coaching here. A refusal to run the Amoeba Defense. No real identity on offense. No originality anywhere. That’s where it’s sad. We’re playing great lately….But it’s probably a little too little and a little too late. We have to run the table after the bye. Is it impossible? No. But it is improbable. I guess We’ll see on that. As for Grier and the front office….It seems he hit it pretty big in the draft this year. So props there. However, it seems last year is going to end up being a little underwhelming except for Tua.
Thanks for reading my friends and enjoy the Bye Week.
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. However, I want Flo back if he can correct the offensive coaches and allow some semblance of continuity for Tua.
