Armando brings up a GREAT point!

[Fish-Head]

Sometimes when I get worked up I can come across more strongly than I intend. I actually like Sparano. I like Penny.

Where I wig out is when blind spots are coddled and used as excuses to keep status quo, whenever status quo is so blatantly flawed. This is where homerism hurts the most: Let's say a coaches blind spot coincides with a constituency homerism -- he might just start believing, "Hey, Penny can be the next Brady!" like so many here appear to actually believe Penny is the second best QB in the NFL next to Brady, or even equal. They actually believe all that junk about "arm strength" developed in the offseason, etc.

Then you get such stuff as Henning saying ALL OF HIS SKILL POSITION PLAYERS [referencing WRs] ARE STUDS!

Now that is just laughable and so patently not true: but if he actually believes even a fraction of that statement, it does not bode well for the Phins chances at upgrading the position. He actually appears to believe it and the Trifecta's strange drafting at that position seems to back it up. Which gives us 4 out of 5 possession WRs very marginal in talent and gamebreaking skill... 4 out of 5 fairly easily shut down WRs.

This is how homerism kills: you actually start believing the sycophantic press articles about yourself and discount any criticism or critical analysis as uneducated or misguided, and you begin feeding into systemic blind spots: you believe your draft picks are good just b.c you drafted them; you believe your personnel changes are ironclad just b.c you made them; you begin locking a team into a talent rut b.c you arrogantly begin believing you are simply two steps ahead of the system and don't need talent [in a player's league] to be successful; you begin saying things like, "Our QB can make ALL the throws..." whenever all talent and pro scouts around the league know differently.

Then you get into a game where your starting QB is so limited and uncomfortable [can't throw downfield unless full mechanics and plenty of time to set and step up] that he attempts 29 passes and ONLY THREE OF THEM TRAVEL FURTHER THAN 15 yards past LOS.

Meanwhile your only WR playmaker is running wild in the secondary.

This is how homerism kills a team.

It lets a second year coach get slightly arrogant -- enough to come into a tougher season without any high level upgrades to the second most important skill position on offense.

This is why I call for accountability and clear-eyed thinking. Any time a team gets SO HIGH on marginal players that it excludes upgrades at that position, it kills a team's success. Every time.

LD

level headed post Lieutenant! Sir. *salutes*

I would of course disagree to a certain level only because I don't think the connection you are making in this argument is automatic... The FO (while you are right is not perfect) does deserve the benefit of the doubt if only because it is year 2.

Also i think there is another important distinction... OPtimism does not equal Homerism...

I think alot of us get pushed into defending or attacking MORE than we normally would...

Next I would say that the opposite (as Huffer said) is also true... Meaning that Blind hate can be equally dangerous... Developing personal grudges against players... or banishing players simply because they were favored or even drafted by a previous regime...

It is showing the EXACT same bias that you are railing against and is equally destructive. It is simply not being objective which is really your point. Objectivity.

Blind Hate and Blind Love are BOTH blind.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

The good news is that 5 days later....Phillip Merling has been credited with his deserved sack on Matt Ryan....

Hell...another day or so and we should be hearing the results from Chad Passnothereyetington's throw in the 3rd quarter.....

 

[Fish-Head]

The good news is that 5 days later....Phillip Merling has been credited with his deserved sack on Matt Ryan....

Hell...another day or so and we should be hearing the results from Chad Passnothereyetington's throw in the 3rd quarter.....

Well since he puts up such floaters... he should actually truck downfield and catch them as well!!! That would be awesome!!!

This way Teddy G can continue to be a top 5 receiver in the league without going near the ball.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Well since he puts up such floaters... he should actually truck downfield and catch them as well!!! That would be awesome!!!

This way Teddy G can continue to be a top 5 receiver in the league without going near the ball.

Hard to keep your completion at 87.624% like that....but I do see your point....

Sorta like Jack Long can continue to be the best left tackle in the league without stopping everybody but Arthur Blank from sacking Chad Gotsackedagainington....

 

[Fish-Head]

Hard to keep your completion at 87.624% like that....but I do see your point....

Sorta like Jack Long can continue to be the best left tackle in the league without stopping everybody but Arthur Blank from sacking Chad Gotsackedagainington....

Truth is... Chad IsTheDevilington MUST SOMEHOW be responsible for Jake 'Roller Derby' Long's regression last week...

I mean he CLEARLY held onto that handoff to Polite too long... which in turn caused Grove and Smiley's timing to be off... which in turn let that 'monster' Babineaux into the backfield... which in turn almost hospitalized Lousaka... Which in turn caused Chad to help Lou up off the turf and say 'sorry dude... My bad... But wow, that was quite a pop you took there fella.'

See how that works? A butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo... Tornado in Miami.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Truth is... Chad IsTheDevilington MUST SOMEHOW be responsible for Jake 'Roller Derby' Long's regression last week...

I mean he CLEARLY held onto that handoff to Polite too long... which in turn caused Grove and Smiley's timing to be off... which in turn let that 'monster' Babineaux into the backfield... which in turn almost hospitalized Lousaka... Which in turn caused Chad to help Lou up off the turf and say 'sorry dude... My bad... But wow, that was quite a pop you took there fella.'

See how that works? A butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo... Tornado in Miami.

Which is why I've tried to point out that it's not just Chad Itsnotmyfaultington....

Jack Long was terrible...Smiley sucked....along with Carey....

Anthony Fumblesano....etc...

But there's a bigger issue here IMO......it's a schematic problem....a philosophical problem....and obviously an execution problem...

Take away all the mistakes and miscues and there's still a flashing neon sign saying "Talent Needed"....

Miami has no talent on offense at the skill positions other than RB.....and yes...that includes the quarterback position....

They want to play ball control...mistake free...conservative....dink and dunk offense.....that requires all aspects to be PERFECT....

You've limited your output already before you even take the field without the defense having to do a damn thing yet...

Add in 11 NFL defenders to that mix daring you to make a play beyond 10 yards and....well....you end up with a total of 16 points in your last two games...

Miami ran the ball at a clip of about 4.4 YPC and STILL couldn't make anything happen through the air without having to resort to gimmicks...

Atlanta was running a 3 YPC average....

Yards per carry doesn't matter if you can't covert 3rd downs and sustain drives....Miami couldn't do it last year against bad defenses....

Turnovers? If that was the end-all-be-all....Miami should have won the superbowl last year since they set a record....

Fact is...the two teams that played in the superbowl would gladly trade off a few extra turnovers in exchange for more plays that result in 6 points on offense...

 

[Huffer]

Sometimes when I get worked up I can come across more strongly than I intend. I actually like Sparano. I like Penny.

Where I wig out is when blind spots are coddled and used as excuses to keep status quo, whenever status quo is so blatantly flawed. This is where homerism hurts the most: Let's say a coaches blind spot coincides with a constituency homerism -- he might just start believing, "Hey, Penny can be the next Brady!" like so many here appear to actually believe Penny is the second best QB in the NFL next to Brady, or even equal. They actually believe all that junk about "arm strength" developed in the offseason, etc.

Then you get such stuff as Henning saying ALL OF HIS SKILL POSITION PLAYERS [referencing WRs] ARE STUDS!

Now that is just laughable and so patently not true: but if he actually believes even a fraction of that statement, it does not bode well for the Phins chances at upgrading the position. He actually appears to believe it and the Trifecta's strange drafting at that position seems to back it up. Which gives us 4 out of 5 possession WRs very marginal in talent and gamebreaking skill... 4 out of 5 fairly easily shut down WRs.

This is how homerism kills: you actually start believing the sycophantic press articles about yourself and discount any criticism or critical analysis as uneducated or misguided, and you begin feeding into systemic blind spots: you believe your draft picks are good just b.c you drafted them; you believe your personnel changes are ironclad just b.c you made them; you begin locking a team into a talent rut b.c you arrogantly begin believing you are simply two steps ahead of the system and don't need talent [in a player's league] to be successful; you begin saying things like, "Our QB can make ALL the throws..." whenever all talent and pro scouts around the league know differently.

Then you get into a game where your starting QB is so limited and uncomfortable [can't throw downfield unless full mechanics and plenty of time to set and step up] that he attempts 29 passes and ONLY THREE OF THEM TRAVEL FURTHER THAN 15 yards past LOS.

Meanwhile your only WR playmaker is running wild in the secondary.

This is how homerism kills a team.

It lets a second year coach get slightly arrogant -- enough to come into a tougher season without any high level upgrades to the second most important skill position on offense.

This is why I call for accountability and clear-eyed thinking. Any time a team gets SO HIGH on marginal players that it excludes upgrades at that position, it kills a team's success. Every time.

LD

Trust me, I understand the frustration. You make some very good points about sticking with mediocre personnel. However again I will play devils advocate:finnasty:.

I really don't believe this regime will put up with guys who don't produce. I know they had high hopes for Ernest Wilford and he didn't pan out. The thing I did like about how they handled Wilford..... they kept him around long enough to know for sure. I think many times players are given up on to soon or before they have been given a fair chance. I also find that the fans tend to criticize players based on where they where drafted. Ginn for example..... he had no control over where he was picked..... and since being here I think he has worked hard and developed into a good wr. Is he great....... so far no. But he has been pretty solid when the ball has went his way. My point is I think we need to give our young guys and developmental guys TIME to show if they can start to develop into solid players. Once given time and chances to prove it I don't get the feeling this regime will hang on to someone just because. However as fans we tend to expect to much to soon at times.

One of the problems I have with this whole thread and Armondos article is this. This is the same offense we had last year, same coordinator and most of the same players....... where were all of these criticisms after the Jets game when we clinched the division???? Armondo had an entire seasons worth of information on our offense at that time. I don't recall him criticizing Henning, and calling all of our players average and saying we can't win with them because we have no go to player who is our stud. But now after just one loss he and some of our fans have seen enough to make some highly critical statements about our OC and the same average offensive players most were praising a season ago and through training camp???? I think the best time to make a fair evaluation would be at the end of the season. Most likely we are keeping all of our players and coaches until then anyway so we just as well give them a chance and support them.

 

[Sirspud]

What do those wins have to do with this year?

You want to talk about the last 2 games? 5 INTS 1 Fumble, 2 loses.

And you didn't answer the question. IF this coaching staff after a debacle of a game, called a playoff game, come out and say Penny is the starter, when will they bench him? They won't.

Now 11 wins was fine for last year. Where does that get MIA this year?

The problem is the last two games are all you want to talk about.