Here are my random thoughts in regards to this article...
* Articles like this are not written if Miami closes out Buffalo and/or New England
* To be fair the team has improved on their Red Zone Offense and 3rd down conversions
* Comparing the defense stats to last year is "fuzzy math". The team has played much better offenses to this point compared to last year's sled
* The entire LB change out is an interesting one. I loved the play of Burnett and Dansby last year, but this move was made because they were getting on the wrong side of 30 and their contracts were nonsensical numbers to keep around going forward after this year. They went younger and tried to get more athletic. I would not not have made the move, but a move had to made this offseason at the latest. They jumped on it a year early and I understand it.
* Jackson killing the defense for giving up 3 more points from the past is a tad picky. The defense has played a lot of tough offenses and has held its own except for the New Orleans game.
Now, with all that said, my concern with this team is the ability of the coaching staff to develop players and utilize their strengths. I have been critical of Joe Philbin, but have also stated I think he can be a good football coach. However, he is at a crossroads right now. Who is he going to be. He has two primetime games to show who he is as a leader. Joe has escaped criticism for a long time in the media and this site. Now, finally the light is being casted on him.
I had a problem when he was selected that he never had been a head coach, never called plays, never had the challenge of decision making on game day (something that my picks of Brian Billick and Mike McCoy all had fyi). I was also stunned during Hard Knocks when he was nitpicking at the players in the locker room and getting on guys for having their shoes tied. The jettisoning of everyone in the leadership council was not a coincidence either. He has shown no ability...let alone interest...attempting to take talented players like Brandon Marshall and Vonte Davis that need attitudinal guidance and keeping them on the team. I like character guys, but you are limited as a coach if you cannot coach up different personalities.
Joe has made is stamp on this team as much of anyone in the organization. If the season heads south Jeff Ireland will be the fall guy. I can already see Mike Sherman being next in the fans' eyes. How Joe is escaping additional criticism is beyond me. The flat team that came off the bye vs. Buffalo is on Joe. The end of game management vs. Buffalo is on Joe. The fizzling out, mentally weak effort vs. New England is on Joe.
