keithjackson
junkyard dolphin
SD@MIA Win? Victory? Shutout? What do you call a game like this? Beat down? A complete and utter dismantling of an opponent folks were calling top ten beforehand? Surely after the schedule came out, the Charger fans called this game another loss down in Miami, but none of them saw this coming. As they suffered through the fourth quarter, they may have even been calling this an act of mercy, because who knows how many more points Tannehill could've administered if he continued playing. Whatever you choose to call it today, hopefully we can look back at this as the galvanizing moment of the season at the halfway point. These players were emotional, winning this for their mourning coach who can't seem to get any credit. Philbin received the game ball after the game, as a coach deserves to after such a total and complete team win.
I confess. I haven't quite believed in the playoff hype yet, until this week. However, it's obvious the players believe. It's also obvious that the Dolphins are one of the best teams in the NFL, with five victories by ten or more points (NFL best). Halfway through the season, they are one of three teams who are in the top ten of both scoring for (#9) and against (#3) (BAL & DAL). Just looking at the five games since Tannehill was challenged, they are averaging an even better 30.6 points for, and have held four teams to 14 or less points. Yes, they are still getting better. Perhaps it's because they finally have their full compliment of defensive players, or perhaps it really does take eight games to get accustomed to this offense (see Eagles last year). Regardless, they are fixings things that vexed them to start the season. Over the last weeks, Miami has scored first and lead going into halftime (20-0, 10-3, 14-0), reversing one of many troubling trends. Against San Diego, they also improved on third downs for (8/14) and against (3/11), allowed zero sacks ( 5.6% sack rate is #13), and made Antonio Gates virtually invisible (3/28).
You cannot win it all at the world class level unless you are elite at something. Against SD, they also continued to prove at what they excel. They dominated the field position game, maintaining their #1 starting field position, starting two more drives inside the opponents redzone (#1 10.6% of drives) and territory (#1 19.15%). In fact, Miami had 41 plays in San Diego territory in the first three quarters, and only 24 in their own. Conversely, SD had six plays in Miami territory on their first drive and ZERO the rest of the game. The offense continued to have the league's least 3-and-outs with only one against SD. (Think of this, Miami has only eleven 3-and-outs on the year (with 5 against JAX) against ten drives that start in the opponents' redzones.) The defense may be the best in the NFL, #1 yards/ attempt and #3 yards/game, enhancing both those stats this week against a top ten offense.
The defense really makes good QBs look awful. Phillip Rivers came in an MVP-candidate, and left Jets-quality, with 31.0 rating against his 102.6 average, with 4 TOs. This is how they roll, looking at the other "elite" QBs they've played: Brady 69.7 v 103.5, Rodgers 99.7 v 113.6, Cutler 74.4 v 95.8, and even awful Bortles went 58.6 v 72.1. (Only Alex Smith had a "good" game, respectively, against us.) Looking at the second half of the season, the collection of QBs is arguably worse. Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins have proved that Coyle's offseason experiment has been a resounding success. (Even Kelvin Sheppard looks like a talent.) They play incredibly large, and loud. This is the best LB duo we've had in decades. Wake is a monster, and Vernon is becoming my favorite defensive player. Reshad is playing his best football ever. The DBs really excel in coverage, and the entire teamwork of the defense is where they shine. The biggest question about the defense is, "What is their weakness?" As they continue to improve, there are legitimate arguments for sending six defenders to the Pro Bowl. I have no complaints about the defense this week.
The offense is finally clicking, but still has a long way to go. That's exciting! Lamar had a decent game, but proved again that he can't catch balls in the flat. Williams and Thomas really caught my eye doing exactly what was asked of them. However, the unit still needs a smashmouth, short yardage back. An influx of size would also be welcomed in the receiving unit. There's no one I trust in the redzone. Clay is magical with the ball in his hands, but he can't make the tough catch. Two dropped TDs hopefully motivates him for next week. Wallace had another one in of his worst games of the year after publicly complaining, catching only 3 of 8 targets. Hartline had a nice bounce back, and Landry showed glimpses that he will be the best WR on the team by the end of the year (I really cannot pick his best play from this game, they were all awesome). but overall, I'd give the WR/TE/RBs a C for this game, which is crazy for a game where we scored 37 points. There's still too many drops (6.3% is 3rd worst), and RBs went 31/85 for a terrible 2.7 average. SD had 8 TFLs, which mirrors a yearlong trend of getting stuffed 10.9% (#27). With four TOs, three within the SD 31, they only scored 13 points. Adding a Sturgis miss, and the aforementioned TD drops, Miami again left two or three scores-worth of points on the field. I'm being harsh because I want this to be the top ten offense it can be.
We scored all those points because the Oline played its best game of the season, allowing zero sacks and only one QB hit. The interior Oline is probably still our weakest link and will be until they beat a top tier DLine (see the next two weeks), but I finally believe in the Satele/Pouncey combo. Albert has been our best FA and James our best draft pick; kudos to Hickey, who really deserves GM of the Year consideration. And, I guess Ryan Tannehill deserves some credit too. What a game! There is definitely a new confidence and control in the way he plays. This first time captain is finally understanding this new system, and it's a joy to watch the beginning of something powerful. He is making the right decisions, using all of his weapons. I have full confidence he can handle even the most talented secondary after this performance. He threw some of the most incredible bullets on Sunday that I've seen from any QB this year - perhaps we should call them lasers. That Q3 laser to Wallace between three defenders on 3rd-and-long was a revelation - and was only one of many this week. However, the biggest improvement was his skirting defenders and pocket climbing, extending plays like a champ. That "feel" was something I didn't think you could "learn", but he actually showed a talent for this in his rookie season (perhaps last year's sack-riddled debacle was an outlier). There were times this past weekend when he was the best player on the field, and if that's the case we will be a perennial playoff team. (Feel free to reread that again.) Adding the league's best defense, we may be unbeatable.
The coaching was practically flawless this week. Coyle might be the most underrated man in the club, having put out a top ten scoring defense in all three of his seasons here. Bill Lazor is making it work despite some obvious kinks left in the learning curve, on pace to have this team score more points since the 1985 Dolphins. And Joe Philbin? You've got to respect his performance this week, and this season. Miami continues to be one of the least penalized teams (#3) and consistency winning the hidden yardage game. They are making perhaps the best halftime adjustments in football, scoring more points (34) on the opening drive of Q3 than anyone, and also averaging 11.8 points in he third (#1). Just look at this week where they scored 17, and forced the Chargers to go INT, INT, Fumble, QB Benched & Punt/Ejection. The biggest decision of the day may have been pulling starters in the fourth quarter when all the players and fans hoping for a shutout. No one may say it, but a shutout is a huge deal, and the fact that everyone on the team from MVPs to backups had a hand in this shutout is VERY important to the culture of this team. They are still improving, still figuring out who they are, and this week may be the turning point. So whatever you call it, don't just call it a win, because this may be the game we truly became contenders.
I confess. I haven't quite believed in the playoff hype yet, until this week. However, it's obvious the players believe. It's also obvious that the Dolphins are one of the best teams in the NFL, with five victories by ten or more points (NFL best). Halfway through the season, they are one of three teams who are in the top ten of both scoring for (#9) and against (#3) (BAL & DAL). Just looking at the five games since Tannehill was challenged, they are averaging an even better 30.6 points for, and have held four teams to 14 or less points. Yes, they are still getting better. Perhaps it's because they finally have their full compliment of defensive players, or perhaps it really does take eight games to get accustomed to this offense (see Eagles last year). Regardless, they are fixings things that vexed them to start the season. Over the last weeks, Miami has scored first and lead going into halftime (20-0, 10-3, 14-0), reversing one of many troubling trends. Against San Diego, they also improved on third downs for (8/14) and against (3/11), allowed zero sacks ( 5.6% sack rate is #13), and made Antonio Gates virtually invisible (3/28).
You cannot win it all at the world class level unless you are elite at something. Against SD, they also continued to prove at what they excel. They dominated the field position game, maintaining their #1 starting field position, starting two more drives inside the opponents redzone (#1 10.6% of drives) and territory (#1 19.15%). In fact, Miami had 41 plays in San Diego territory in the first three quarters, and only 24 in their own. Conversely, SD had six plays in Miami territory on their first drive and ZERO the rest of the game. The offense continued to have the league's least 3-and-outs with only one against SD. (Think of this, Miami has only eleven 3-and-outs on the year (with 5 against JAX) against ten drives that start in the opponents' redzones.) The defense may be the best in the NFL, #1 yards/ attempt and #3 yards/game, enhancing both those stats this week against a top ten offense.
The defense really makes good QBs look awful. Phillip Rivers came in an MVP-candidate, and left Jets-quality, with 31.0 rating against his 102.6 average, with 4 TOs. This is how they roll, looking at the other "elite" QBs they've played: Brady 69.7 v 103.5, Rodgers 99.7 v 113.6, Cutler 74.4 v 95.8, and even awful Bortles went 58.6 v 72.1. (Only Alex Smith had a "good" game, respectively, against us.) Looking at the second half of the season, the collection of QBs is arguably worse. Koa Misi and Jelani Jenkins have proved that Coyle's offseason experiment has been a resounding success. (Even Kelvin Sheppard looks like a talent.) They play incredibly large, and loud. This is the best LB duo we've had in decades. Wake is a monster, and Vernon is becoming my favorite defensive player. Reshad is playing his best football ever. The DBs really excel in coverage, and the entire teamwork of the defense is where they shine. The biggest question about the defense is, "What is their weakness?" As they continue to improve, there are legitimate arguments for sending six defenders to the Pro Bowl. I have no complaints about the defense this week.
The offense is finally clicking, but still has a long way to go. That's exciting! Lamar had a decent game, but proved again that he can't catch balls in the flat. Williams and Thomas really caught my eye doing exactly what was asked of them. However, the unit still needs a smashmouth, short yardage back. An influx of size would also be welcomed in the receiving unit. There's no one I trust in the redzone. Clay is magical with the ball in his hands, but he can't make the tough catch. Two dropped TDs hopefully motivates him for next week. Wallace had another one in of his worst games of the year after publicly complaining, catching only 3 of 8 targets. Hartline had a nice bounce back, and Landry showed glimpses that he will be the best WR on the team by the end of the year (I really cannot pick his best play from this game, they were all awesome). but overall, I'd give the WR/TE/RBs a C for this game, which is crazy for a game where we scored 37 points. There's still too many drops (6.3% is 3rd worst), and RBs went 31/85 for a terrible 2.7 average. SD had 8 TFLs, which mirrors a yearlong trend of getting stuffed 10.9% (#27). With four TOs, three within the SD 31, they only scored 13 points. Adding a Sturgis miss, and the aforementioned TD drops, Miami again left two or three scores-worth of points on the field. I'm being harsh because I want this to be the top ten offense it can be.
We scored all those points because the Oline played its best game of the season, allowing zero sacks and only one QB hit. The interior Oline is probably still our weakest link and will be until they beat a top tier DLine (see the next two weeks), but I finally believe in the Satele/Pouncey combo. Albert has been our best FA and James our best draft pick; kudos to Hickey, who really deserves GM of the Year consideration. And, I guess Ryan Tannehill deserves some credit too. What a game! There is definitely a new confidence and control in the way he plays. This first time captain is finally understanding this new system, and it's a joy to watch the beginning of something powerful. He is making the right decisions, using all of his weapons. I have full confidence he can handle even the most talented secondary after this performance. He threw some of the most incredible bullets on Sunday that I've seen from any QB this year - perhaps we should call them lasers. That Q3 laser to Wallace between three defenders on 3rd-and-long was a revelation - and was only one of many this week. However, the biggest improvement was his skirting defenders and pocket climbing, extending plays like a champ. That "feel" was something I didn't think you could "learn", but he actually showed a talent for this in his rookie season (perhaps last year's sack-riddled debacle was an outlier). There were times this past weekend when he was the best player on the field, and if that's the case we will be a perennial playoff team. (Feel free to reread that again.) Adding the league's best defense, we may be unbeatable.
The coaching was practically flawless this week. Coyle might be the most underrated man in the club, having put out a top ten scoring defense in all three of his seasons here. Bill Lazor is making it work despite some obvious kinks left in the learning curve, on pace to have this team score more points since the 1985 Dolphins. And Joe Philbin? You've got to respect his performance this week, and this season. Miami continues to be one of the least penalized teams (#3) and consistency winning the hidden yardage game. They are making perhaps the best halftime adjustments in football, scoring more points (34) on the opening drive of Q3 than anyone, and also averaging 11.8 points in he third (#1). Just look at this week where they scored 17, and forced the Chargers to go INT, INT, Fumble, QB Benched & Punt/Ejection. The biggest decision of the day may have been pulling starters in the fourth quarter when all the players and fans hoping for a shutout. No one may say it, but a shutout is a huge deal, and the fact that everyone on the team from MVPs to backups had a hand in this shutout is VERY important to the culture of this team. They are still improving, still figuring out who they are, and this week may be the turning point. So whatever you call it, don't just call it a win, because this may be the game we truly became contenders.
