Barry Jackson: Unfulfilled Promises by Dolphins | Page 3 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Barry Jackson: Unfulfilled Promises by Dolphins

Hayden Fox said:
This team needs a win BAD.
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This is exactly what it comes down to. All this talk goes away with a nice win. There are a lot of issues with this team right now; and I'd say that, other than the O-line, 90% of it is mental. When this team shows up and the coaching staff is on its game, we can see the what the team is capable of. Just a few observations through the last 3 games:

--There are times we stretch the field, dominate on all fronts, go right down the field and score points. Then it's like the whole offense forgot what they did in its the last drive and look flat.

--Innopportune Defensive lapses. That is all.

--The past 4 games this team has fallen flat on it's face when it had to show up and have some balls. A huge point swing happened with that Wallace drop on 3rd down that led to a missed FG. Instead of 7 points for us we gave the Pats prime field position and a TD. If Wallace runs the right route, catches the ball and scores the next 2 Pats scores would not have happened how they did.

--I know I know, what-ifs and what-nots are things best suited for Captain Hindsight, but it's these "nail-in-the-coffin" moments that the team fails to execute. We would've been up 24-3, but instead we gave up 2 TD's in 106 seconds. A TD because of the field position from the missed FG and bad field position on the kickoff that ultimately led to great field position after a Tannehill sack and fumble.

--Mental mistakes and mental lapses. No team will win against great teams with the amount of mental mistakes this team has made. That's two straight games that we failed to be mentally tough in game changing situations. Granted we weren't aided by the refs last game, but this does not excuse the horrid play when put up against the ropes.

--Confidence and Composure. This team lacks it in big time situations. They lose their composure and the air comes right out of them when things don't go their way. Things were different in the first 3 games where they found ways to respond when they had to. Now, they look lost when it matters. That 5 minute drive that ended up with a blocked FG at the end of the game was tough to watch. You're down 10, don't mosey along to the line when you need 2 scores in the final few minutes of the game. They lacked composure to put together the right drive with the right amount of urgency. Which leads me to my next point.

--Urgency!! Where the **** is it? They had it, then they lost it. They have it to end the first half, they don't have it to end the second half. Not much more needs to be said, there is a lack of urgency on this team.

-- Not taking advantage of the opponents' weakness. Last week the Pats lost Vollmer mid-game. We failed to take advantage of this. The Pats were down 3 big-time defensive players, we didn't exploit it when it mattered. The Pats blitzed the **** out of us at the end of that game and exploited our biggest weakness. We didn't. Brady knew Patterson was out and caught Carroll being Carroll. The Bills had 2 RB's running on their last legs and a third string QB who we were supposed to "dominate" after a bye-week of prepping for them. We didn't "dominate." This is an issue. This has to be fixed. We have to exploit the **** out of a team's weaknesses. Don't try to be nice and find other ways to win. Make sure they know they're being exploited and have to adjust their game so we can play our game.

We have the talent (when the O-line is blocking properly) to run the score up on a team and keep opposing offenses off the field. But players and coaches are missing that mental aspect where they take advantage of the situation they're given. I guess I could sum it up easily. They lack the brains and the balls to win big against good teams (other than the Colts) even though they have a the talent to do so.
 
So depressing. The lack of explosive plays is due to 2 main things IMO:

1. The obvious one - poor pass protection / limited time to throw.

2. No Reggie Bush - I'll say it til I'm blue in the face - you stack playmakers (Wallace and Bush) not get one and think you are all set. Ireland made same mistake w Marshall - he was the only PM on the team. I'll say it again - stack yourself w playmakers. The no attempt to resign Reggie might go down as the worst decision by the Ireland/Philbin era. I went on record when we lost Bush and signed Wallace that I thought chunk plays and TDs from these guys would be a wash rather than be additive. It's playing out that way or worse even - which is why you stack offensive playmakers.
 
It's amazing how a position or unit can be highlighted for improvement in the off-season, and yet end up being a weakness or worse.

Since losing Keller and Gibson to injury and Tyms to Browns, and with Wallace playing through lingering groin and lack of scheme adjustment, Miami simply doesn't have the overall horses at WR or TE to consistently pressure a D. It's really clear.

One reason why I lost my marbles for a day when Hartline was resigned in the offseason to the tune of 30 mill. High on mediocre talent. A WR that CANNOT BE DEPENDED ON to beat single coverage or play well in the red zone. Miami needs playmaker WRs and TEs not pedestrian, serviceable WRs -- good guys but just SO, SO mediocre on the field. How can this be a point of emphasis with money to spend and draft picks to burn... and no playmakers? Or how can so many picks be used at TE -- and still no playmakers?

And the OL? How can second and third round picks not be counted on to play well? Including those stashed on inactive roster being "developed," but never developing into good players...

As much as I would like the Phins to make a run, they simply don't have the horses.

OL -- NOT EVEN MEDIOCRE.
WR -- Without Wallace functioning highly and with Gibson injured, it's the same WR corpse as last year.
TE -- So sad. Really. People talk about Clay but he's the heart and soul of mediocrity. Singled covered by a DB and he still doesn't own it. The only reason he's playing is b.c. of injury, and the "next man up" just happens to be mediocre.
RB -- Trying to step up, but could really use Reggie Bush on that squad. SMH.
QB -- a young, inexperienced QB who has to make do without high level play around him. Hence, major growing pains AND dangerous to health.

Compare this lack of talent across the board on O to the other young gun QBs -- look at San Fran or Indy, for instance. Their GMs have CRUSHED it, stacking the roster w. talent and seeking more talent at skill positions.

Miami simply doesn't have the horses to either make a run in the regular season or succeed in the playoffs.

Sucks to be a Miami Dolphin fan and know a bit about football. It's a special kind of hell.

Burns.

LD
 
Wallace's strengths match-up very well with Tannehill's weaknesses.

The Ireland way, back yourself into a corner and have to reach to fill a hole. You reach on a project Qb in the 1st round, and you reach on a 60 million dollar deal on an incomplete receiver.

Marshall, Bush, and Moore were just fine and could of served Philbin and his coaching staff well for year 1.
 
I know this:

If this team goes up to Tampa on the 11th and loses to that dumpster fire in primetime, Philbin should be fired "Lane Kiffin" style in the parking lot of the Miami airport at 3 AM upon their return.
 
Billick is still available. Next year if things keep going south? I would love to see Billick come back to coaching after being out of the game but still being involved with the game. I know it's an old cliché to say a team takes on the personality of it's coach but I think it's true to a certain extent. Would love to have a smart, arrogant, good TEAM for a change.
 
It's hard to have any hope when the coaching staff are the last ones to realize there is a problem with our offensive play calling. The fans saw it for a few weeks and the players are now voicing their concerns. It simply defies logic why we would line up in empty backfields so much with a struggling O line and a QB still learning the position. We should be running more power sets under center to establish a running game and at least keep someone in the backfield while in shotgun to keep the d honest. Too many times we are inviting them to pin their ears back and attack the pocket with a QB who has no idea how to move in a collapsing pocket.
 
royalshank said:
So depressing. The lack of explosive plays is due to 2 main things IMO:

1. The obvious one - poor pass protection / limited time to throw.

2. No Reggie Bush - I'll say it til I'm blue in the face - you stack playmakers (Wallace and Bush) not get one and think you are all set. Ireland made same mistake w Marshall - he was the only PM on the team. I'll say it again - stack yourself w playmakers. The no attempt to resign Reggie might go down as the worst decision by the Ireland/Philbin era. I went on record when we lost Bush and signed Wallace that I thought chunk plays and TDs from these guys would be a wash rather than be additive. It's playing out that way or worse even - which is why you stack offensive playmakers.
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This x 100 and go to the head of the class.

You STACK playmakers -- especially when you have HUGE cap space, money to burn, and mega draft picks. YOU STACK PLAYMAKERS. Fill the WR positions w. solid now and good upside guys. Draft budding playmakers to develop -- and good athletes for the trenches. If you say you're a player developer, then AFTER A YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT that player better be contributing well, etc. etc. etc.

Amazing. I still have to shake my head. Mediocrity or worse at most positions on Offense... let one proven playmaker go and replaced w. one playmaker not yet adapted to offense... could have had multiple threats at RB and multiple threats at WR and TE. Just takes a better talent evaluator -- evidently at head coach AND GM. GM is a proven nightmare. In over his head. Not a football player or talent detector.

LD
 
Phantom said:
That's what happens when your gm sucks so bad, you have to trade for a player, and give him one week to prepare to start. I am surprised McKinney played as well as he did. Phillibin has been a major disappointment. It's time he starts taking some heat for this teams preparation, and game day play.
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Not only that but plays like that might have been the reason McKinnie was benched before we traded for him.
 
royalshank said:
So depressing. The lack of explosive plays is due to 2 main things IMO:

1. The obvious one - poor pass protection / limited time to throw.

2. No Reggie Bush - I'll say it til I'm blue in the face - you stack playmakers (Wallace and Bush) not get one and think you are all set. Ireland made same mistake w Marshall - he was the only PM on the team. I'll say it again - stack yourself w playmakers. The no attempt to resign Reggie might go down as the worst decision by the Ireland/Philbin era. I went on record when we lost Bush and signed Wallace that I thought chunk plays and TDs from these guys would be a wash rather than be additive. It's playing out that way or worse even - which is why you stack offensive playmakers.
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Until you have a playmaker at QB, it's difficult to tell just how much playmaking ability there really is at the other skilled positions. It's a limiting factor position.
 
shouright said:
Wallace is not suited for this offense IMO. He's suited for an Erhardt-Perkins or an Air Coryell offense.
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You might be right but if Tannehill had better deep ball accuracy Wallace's numbers would look just fine, 4 or 5 times the deep ball was 10-15 yards too short which might have given Wallace another 2-300 yards receiving and 3-4 more TDs. It might seem like I'm bashing Tannehill but I'm really not because most of the throws were still competitive (as Philbin would say) and catchable, just hoping he's been on the wrong side of variance on the deep ball to this point. If he had connected on them all it changes everything imo and we're probably sitting on 5-2 right now instead of 3-4.
 
Well, that was a painful article. Makes me feel like such a sucker.
 
roy_miami said:
You might be right but if Tannehill had better deep ball accuracy Wallace's numbers would look just fine, 4 or 5 times the deep ball was 10-15 yards too short which might have given Wallace another 2-300 yards receiving and 3-4 more TDs. It might seem like I'm bashing Tannehill but I'm really not because most of the throws were still competitive (as Philbin would say) and catchable, just hoping he's been on the wrong side of variance on the deep ball to this point. If he had connected on them all it changes everything imo and we're probably sitting on 5-2 right now instead of 3-4.
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Ironically, though, Tannehill's downfield accuracy this year (38.5%) is actually better than Ben Roethlisberger's in 2011 (33.8%), when Mike Wallace caught 72 passes for 1,193 yards and 8 TDs, including 9 passes for 456 yards and 5 TDs on passes thrown 21+ yards in the air.

Despite Roethlisberger's poorer downfield accuracy, a great deal greater percentage of Wallace's production was downfield that year than it is this year.

Now you know I'm ready to blame Tannehill for things just as fast as anybody, but there's something else at play here, IMO.
 
All I know is he hasn't hit Wallace deep with a perfect pass yet, like I said hopefully he's on the wrong side of variance in this regard. Even the one time he did hit Wallace deep (the Colts game) was 20 yards underthrown but Wallace just happened to be so wide open he could stand there and wait for it, still cost himself and Wallace a TD on that play though.
 
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