Armando: Dolphins on course for playoff berth | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Armando: Dolphins on course for playoff berth

Daytona Fin

Daytona Fin

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Maybe a 5-3 record now doesn’t seem notable by NFL excellence standards. Only one of four AFC teams with that record is currently on a playoff footing, and the ground is not exactly firm under those Kansas City Chiefs.

But for the Miami Dolphins, 5-3 is a revelation.

It’s an accomplishment.

It’s the best record the franchise has managed at the halfway point of any season since 2003.
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These Dolphins are imperfect on many levels. The interior offensive line needs improvement. The linebacker corps isn’t exactly speedy. The quarterback’s deep ball accuracy is so poor the team has shifted away from taking shots down the field.

And yet this team is on a three-game win streak with a chance Sunday at Detroit to extend it to the longest winning streak by a Dolphins team since 2008.

So these Dolphins at midseason are enjoying good times.

How did that happen? How have they gotten here?
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“We’ve got some good players on defense,” Grimes said in his typically understated way. “We play some good defense, that’s what we try to do. If we go out and play our game, we can make it a tough game for anybody. We just try to do that week in and week out. Obviously, every game is not going to be 37-0, but we take pride in trying to make it a tough day for the offense.”

Miami’s defense has been good before. Remember, this is the franchise that wasted the Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain and Tim Bowens years.

But this defense is lately doing something few others have done around here. This defense is delivering turnovers and, yes, scoring points. The Dolphins have nine interceptions and nine fumble recoveries, and their 18 turnovers ties for second most in the NFL, behind only Houston’s 21.

“We’ve had a relatively good pass rush since we’ve been here. Our scoring defense has been relatively good since we’ve been here,” coach Joe Philbin said. “I think our takeaways, at least right now where we stand, have kind of been accelerated ...”
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But for the Dolphins, improvement at the quarterback position is, well, improvement for the entire offense. And that beats the alternative.

“I’m definitely progressing,” Tannehill said. “I think that I’m not where I want to be at by any stretch, but I’m progressing. I’m seeing improvements, seeing better throws, seeing the ball coming out quicker, creating some plays out of the pocket.

“I think we always say make the plays that are there, take advantage of the looks that we get, making the throws when we get a shot and give our guys a chance to make a play. I think you see the kind of playmakers that we have on the outside. So it’s just a matter of me getting them the ball.”

The Dolphins have become more of a horizontal pass offense in that they don’t throw the ball down the field as much as even they would want. But offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is trying to maximize what Tannehill does better.
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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/s...do-salguero/article3666674.html#storylink=cpy
 
Man..PLEASEEEEE don't JINX this season.
 
I disagree with several of his comments. The LB corps may not be perfect, but they aren't slow. Jenkins, Wheeler, Tripp and McCain are not slow LB's
With respect to "wasting" the JT, ZT, Madison yrs, I seem to recall those defenses responsible for some of the worst playoff losses in team history i.e. 35 pts to the Denver Broncos and 62 points to the Jaguars.
 
The problem is, it seems like the whole AFC is poised to make the playoffs right now. There is a good chance that a team with a 10-6 record will not make the playoffs. It is possible two teams with that record will not make it. It looks like the AFC has become the stronger conference by a significant margin.
 
Mando just wrote an article this week saying to not to get too far ahead of ourselves….I guess he is covered now. LOL.
 
rickd13 said:
The problem is, it seems like the whole AFC is poised to make the playoffs right now. There is a good chance that a team with a 10-6 record will not make the playoffs. It is possible two teams with that record will not make it. It looks like the AFC has become the stronger conference by a significant margin.
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Nah, all these teams and maybe will fall back at some point. This happens every year around this time. Some of these 4-4 and 5-3 teams fill fold in the stretch. I know it's happened before(Wanny year) and could again but it's not likely. BTW, laughing my azz off at the Bengals giving Dalton 119M BwaaaWaaaHaaaa
What were they thinking
 
I hate that we have had to go away from the deep ball. Mark Buttfumble Sanches came off the bench last week and threw a perfect strike downfield, happens every week around the league, why can't Tannehill do this?!

Aside from that caveat, I'm very excited about Tannehills progress and where this team can go.


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