Perfect72
It's Only Happened ONCE!
[h=2]The Miami Dolphins lost a last-minute heartbreaker to the Seattle Seahawks due to crucial mistakes by two key players. Nevertheless, they have a lot to feel good about thanks to solid performances by several other members of the team.[/h][FONT="]THE STUDS:[/FONT]
[FONT="]1. Mario Williams – Williams was constantly in the face of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson until he left the game due to a concussion in the second half. Williams’ relentless pursuit of Wilson yielded a sack, a QB hit, several hurries, and he forced a bad pass that led to an Isa Abdul-Quddus interception. Just as important, Williams’ sack came on a third-and-nine from the Miami 16-yard line, forcing the Seahawks to settle for a field goal to open the scoring.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]Why it Matters: There was a great deal of scrutiny by some members of the Miami media surrounding the Dolphins’ decision to replace defensive end Olivier Vernon, whom they lost in free agency to the New York Giants, with the much older Williams. Williams went a long way to silencing those critics by his constant presence in the Seahawks’ backfield. Meanwhile Vernon failed to register a sack or quarterback hit in the Giants’ victory over the Dallas Cowboys . Moreover, Williams’ performance was a strong indicator that the Dolphins’ defensive line may finally live up to expectations and turn in a far better showing than they had in 2015.[/FONT]
[FONT="]2. Isa Abdul-Quddus – Abdul-Duddus’ interception of a Russell Wilson pass, and his subsequent 9-yard return, helped set up an Andrew Franks 41-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 early in the second quarter. Adul-Quddus also knocked down another pass and made three solo tackles.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Abdul-Quddus’ solid debut gave Dolphins’ fans reason to believe the team has finally found a second reliable safety to take some of the pressure off Pro Bowler Rashad Jones. If Abdul-Quddus continues to play at this level, the added stability he will provide may help mask the inexperience of Miami’s younger DBs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]3. Ndamukong Suh – While Suh’s performance wasn’t quite as flashy as Williams’, it was every bit as dominating. He registered a sack, which left Russell Wilson hobbled, three QB hits, two solo tackles, and a batted pass.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Suh’s ability to draw double teams not only opened rushing lanes for his fellow defenders to keep Russell Wilson’s scrambling in check, it also helped the Dolphins’ linebackers turn in a solid performance against the run. As a result, the Seahawks managed a mere 3.5 yards per carry, and their longest run was for just 12 yards.[/FONT]
[FONT="]4. Matt Darr – While Darr’s inclusion here may surprise some, his 46.7 yard average on seven punts was instrumental in winning the field position battle and keeping the game close.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Darr was able to pin Seattle inside the 20 on three occasions. As a result, on average, the Seahawks began their drives on their own 23-yard line, while the Dolphins began their drives on their own 32-yard line. Those extra few yards were just enough to keep Seattle out of field goal range on more than one occasion.[/FONT]
[FONT="]5. Arian Foster (as a receiver) – Foster caught three passes on five targets out of the backfield for 62 yards, including a terrific 50-yard catch and run that left Kam Chancellor grasping for nothing but air.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Foster flashed exactly the kind of open field elusiveness the Dolphins were hoping to see when they brought him in to supplement Jay Ajayi as a change of pace back.[/FONT]
[FONT="]THE DUDS:[/FONT]
[FONT="]1. Kenny Stills – To put it simply, Stills cost Miami the game and a share of first place in the AFC East by dropping a sure touchdown from Ryan Tannehill despite beating the defense by a good 8 yards. Beyond that, he caught just one of five passes thrown his way and was generally ineffective against the Legion of Boom.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: After an impressive showing in preseason, the Dolphins were counting on Stills to help offset the absence of fellow deep threat DeVante Parker. Instead, Stills choked on what would have been a 71-yard touchdown, failing to reel in a ball that hit him square in the hands while running in stride. It was one of the few openings offered up by the Seattle defense and would have given Miami the margin of victory. Furthermore, had Stills caught that pass, Tannehill’s passer rating would have spiked from a hum drum 74.8 to an impressive 99.35.
More at LINK: http://phinphanatic.com/2016/09/12/dolphins-studs-and-duds-week-1/
Your thoughts.........
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[FONT="]1. Mario Williams – Williams was constantly in the face of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson until he left the game due to a concussion in the second half. Williams’ relentless pursuit of Wilson yielded a sack, a QB hit, several hurries, and he forced a bad pass that led to an Isa Abdul-Quddus interception. Just as important, Williams’ sack came on a third-and-nine from the Miami 16-yard line, forcing the Seahawks to settle for a field goal to open the scoring.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: There was a great deal of scrutiny by some members of the Miami media surrounding the Dolphins’ decision to replace defensive end Olivier Vernon, whom they lost in free agency to the New York Giants, with the much older Williams. Williams went a long way to silencing those critics by his constant presence in the Seahawks’ backfield. Meanwhile Vernon failed to register a sack or quarterback hit in the Giants’ victory over the Dallas Cowboys . Moreover, Williams’ performance was a strong indicator that the Dolphins’ defensive line may finally live up to expectations and turn in a far better showing than they had in 2015.[/FONT]
[FONT="]2. Isa Abdul-Quddus – Abdul-Duddus’ interception of a Russell Wilson pass, and his subsequent 9-yard return, helped set up an Andrew Franks 41-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 early in the second quarter. Adul-Quddus also knocked down another pass and made three solo tackles.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Abdul-Quddus’ solid debut gave Dolphins’ fans reason to believe the team has finally found a second reliable safety to take some of the pressure off Pro Bowler Rashad Jones. If Abdul-Quddus continues to play at this level, the added stability he will provide may help mask the inexperience of Miami’s younger DBs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]3. Ndamukong Suh – While Suh’s performance wasn’t quite as flashy as Williams’, it was every bit as dominating. He registered a sack, which left Russell Wilson hobbled, three QB hits, two solo tackles, and a batted pass.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Suh’s ability to draw double teams not only opened rushing lanes for his fellow defenders to keep Russell Wilson’s scrambling in check, it also helped the Dolphins’ linebackers turn in a solid performance against the run. As a result, the Seahawks managed a mere 3.5 yards per carry, and their longest run was for just 12 yards.[/FONT]
[FONT="]4. Matt Darr – While Darr’s inclusion here may surprise some, his 46.7 yard average on seven punts was instrumental in winning the field position battle and keeping the game close.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Darr was able to pin Seattle inside the 20 on three occasions. As a result, on average, the Seahawks began their drives on their own 23-yard line, while the Dolphins began their drives on their own 32-yard line. Those extra few yards were just enough to keep Seattle out of field goal range on more than one occasion.[/FONT]
[FONT="]5. Arian Foster (as a receiver) – Foster caught three passes on five targets out of the backfield for 62 yards, including a terrific 50-yard catch and run that left Kam Chancellor grasping for nothing but air.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: Foster flashed exactly the kind of open field elusiveness the Dolphins were hoping to see when they brought him in to supplement Jay Ajayi as a change of pace back.[/FONT]
[FONT="]THE DUDS:[/FONT]
[FONT="]1. Kenny Stills – To put it simply, Stills cost Miami the game and a share of first place in the AFC East by dropping a sure touchdown from Ryan Tannehill despite beating the defense by a good 8 yards. Beyond that, he caught just one of five passes thrown his way and was generally ineffective against the Legion of Boom.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Why it Matters: After an impressive showing in preseason, the Dolphins were counting on Stills to help offset the absence of fellow deep threat DeVante Parker. Instead, Stills choked on what would have been a 71-yard touchdown, failing to reel in a ball that hit him square in the hands while running in stride. It was one of the few openings offered up by the Seattle defense and would have given Miami the margin of victory. Furthermore, had Stills caught that pass, Tannehill’s passer rating would have spiked from a hum drum 74.8 to an impressive 99.35.
More at LINK: http://phinphanatic.com/2016/09/12/dolphins-studs-and-duds-week-1/
Your thoughts.........
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