For those who say our defensive scheme is too "vanilla"

[wahwee]

The reason that we let up in the 4th quarter is because the opposing offense gets a sense of urgency to score, and start making the plays that they didn't before. Our defense, on the other hand, has a fragile psyche that causes them to fold under pressure.

It's simple really. Ever notice how Marino could fit a ball into a spot where the room for error was about 5 inches or so? He had the mentality to raise his game a notch when it mattered. Football is a game of inches, and our defense (in previous years, anyway) doesn't fight for those inches when another team is scrapping. Hopefully our defensive upgrades have resulted in the type of player who can bring that little extra in crunchtime, because the only guy on our defense who consistently brings it is JT, and unfortunately, he can't beat triple teams.

 

[CRAZYDOLFAN305]

I hope all the comments relating to our Defense being suspect is with direct contrast to playing on the road. Because at home we are by far the best D in the league. Look at the stats, they back me up. Until last year, we had no problem playing good on D on the road. I doubt our D will have the same problem this year. With all the following problem some of us have mentioned will still finished 1st in our conference in 3rd overall. With our new addittions, I would have to say the sky is the limit for our New D..

 

[Da 'Fins]

Originally posted by CRAZYDOLFAN305
I hope all the comments relating to our Defense being suspect is with direct contrast to playing on the road. Because at home we are by far the best D in the league. Look at the stats, they back me up. Until last year, we had no problem playing good on D on the road. I doubt our D will have the same problem this year. With all the following problem some of us have mentioned will still finished 1st in our conference in 3rd overall. With our new addittions, I would have to say the sky is the limit for our New D..

Are these the stats against Baltimore in our last playoff game?

Actually, we are good at home, but a great defense is great everywhere. That's why TB was not really a great D until they went to Philly and beat the Eagles. Then, they demonstrated they were a great D. Until we win a big game in December or January on the road, the D hasn't proved anything. It's a very good defense, but it has weaknesses. I would also argue that the D does not do as well late into the season at home or on the road.

We had ample opportunity to win at Buffalo (in spite of Ray Lucas) and at New England, but the defense could not come up with the big play. When they are able to win games for us like that (the offense put up enough points to win each game) and secure home-field, or until they win on the road in the playoffs, they cannot be considered in the same camp as TB.

 

[Da 'Fins]

Originally posted by FINFAN38
In your comparison of "D"s where are the corners? Our top THREE is better than their best one. None of their corners could play in our system. Fletcher (our 4th) would play cover 2 well though. It is easy to play D while watching the QB all the time.

It is true that our top TWO are better, but not top three. I'd gladly take Ronde Barber as a 3rd CB.

But, the way we use our corners is ineffective. Their corners do a good job in their scheme and they get picks. Also having Lynch in there helps protect their corners across the middle. Hopefully Knight will do the same for us, but it remains to be seen.

The biggest problem is that our corners, as someone else noted, are used only on the outside. Remember how the Jets would throw a RB/FB outside and we'd have Madison lined up against him, while they'd put a WR in the slot and a LB would have to cover. We have handled that, but we still are SO vanilla, so locked into where we lineup that other teams are continually able to get their top WR away from Madison or Surtain and against our #3 CB or a S. That's why we need to mix it up more; so that teams don't know exactly what to do. Move Surtain or Madison to match up against the top WR wherever they are! Or just switch things around enough to keep them off balance. That's all anyone is talking about when they think we are too vanilla.

 

[DeDolfan]

Originally posted by Danny
well, till we win it all with our defense being dominant at home and on the ROAD week in and week out, then I'd have to say that Tampa's D is better than ours. Do we have more talent? Posibly, but we still have to go out there and do it, specially on the road and then in the playoffs. Tampa has done it and we haven't done it and we have to face it. I think we can do it this year but we still have to go out and do it. Nothing that we say here really matters. They don't play the games on paper.Believe me, I love our team but what's fair is fair. They have done it and we haven't done it yet.

IMO, your point makes the most sense so far. That fact that we dominate pretty much everything at home and play like panzies on the road shows a real problem. Granted, playing on the road will affect you somewhat but not like night and day. I mean, if it's not the talent or the schemes, what else is there left??

 

[zach13]

Originally posted by DeDolfan


IMO, your point makes the most sense so far. That fact that we dominate pretty much everything at home and play like panzies on the road shows a real problem. Granted, playing on the road will affect you somewhat but not like night and day. I mean, if it's not the talent or the schemes, what else is there left??

The road uniforms

 

[DeDolfan]

Originally posted by zachseau13


The road uniforms

:D :D :D

Maybe, but I don't think that's it tho!!

 

[DPlus47]

maybe the players party on the road. i doubt it, but there has to be some answer.

 

[DeDolfan]

Originally posted by DPlus47
maybe the players party on the road. i doubt it, but there has to be some answer.

Playing for the whole 60 minutes and not calling off the dogs in the second halh just because we have a lead may have a little something to do with it!

 

[finfan54]

[

PS The reason we couldn't get pressure on Favre on MNF was because they were playing max protection all game long to keep people off him. Our blitzes (which we did try in this game) were beaten by screens and quick passes. The reason we lost that game was because of stupid fumbles by Rob Konrad and Cris Carter early on, so we couldn't keep pace. [/B][/QUOTE]

your right, but we played back on the Dline, like a friggin yard back! and our LB's were sitting back like 10 yards! why? why do we do this? we were playing coverage all the way when farve was in shot gun. we should have went after farve early and often to shake his confidence, instead we sat back and let him dictate to us. when we blitzed, it was out of desperation when it was too late. the screens and such sicked us into it. if we had played attack mode early, it would have at least made farve think a bit more about what he was going to do. instead we just let him drive down the field. it would have been a sloughter if teh interception wasnt made by surtain in the endzone. it was a sloughter anyways. i dont like nonconference games lately, we just dont care about them and i think that is one thing that brigns on the downslide cus we are not out to win those games. it breeds bad attitude.

 

[Merman]

Just to stir the pot , these quotes from Dick Vermeil should help.

"The No. 1 criteria in winning in the NFL is how many losing teams you play," Vermeil said. "The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played eight teams that had losing records at the end of the season. The Bucs won all eight. In the year we won the Super Bow in St. Louis, we played 11 losing teams. In the last five years, the five world champions played a total of 45 games against losing teams and beat 43 of them. If you are going to win the Super Bowl, you've got to keep playing losing teams."

and

The Chiefs also simplified the defensive scheme to allow the players to be in better positions to make plays. During the past two years, the Chiefs had a more complicated scheme that broke down if a defender or two was out of position.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1554069.html

 

[Muck]

It's two-fold. The coaches have to put the players in position to make plays.....and the players must execute. Wanny (and Huizenga for that matter) have said that the Phins have to stay aggressive for 4 quarters this year. And those statements can be directly attributed to the team employing the prevent defense late in games.

That's not a schematic overhaul. Simply an adjustment. Another would be allowing your CBs to move and get better matchups with elite WRs (although the addition of T-Buck will make this easier). Another would be to stop taking your best coverage LB (Zach) out of plays by throwing him at the offensive line in an attempt to blitz. Again, the addition of Seau should make this easier.

With adjustments such as these in place, there will be no excuses. It will be up to the players to execute.

 

[zach13]

So last year the best defense was the simplest - Tampa Bay, two years ago the championship defense was, arguably, the most complex - the Patriots.

The Patriots shut down a team - the Rams - that lit up the Dolphins earlier in the year like a pinball machine on full tilt

Our defense failed badly last year in several key games, New England, Minnesota, Kansas City, and Buffalo (in Buffalo).

Those performances belie our top three defensive ranking.

Changes needed to be made.

Personnel changes have been made and have made this a stronger unit.

But, IMO, schematic changes need to be made as well or we will be having the same damn argument next year.

 

[Merman]

Originally posted by Muck
It's two-fold. The coaches have to put the players in position to make plays.....and the players must execute. Wanny (and Huizenga for that matter) have said that the Phins have to stay aggressive for 4 quarters this year. And those statements can be directly attributed to the team employing the prevent defense late in games.

Don't get your hopes up Muck. In certain situations you will see the prevent.

Originally posted by Muck
That's not a schematic overhaul. Simply an adjustment. Another would be allowing your CBs to move and get better matchups with elite WRs (although the addition of T-Buck will make this easier). Another would be to stop taking your best coverage LB (Zach) out of plays by throwing him at the offensive line in an attempt to blitz. Again, the addition of Seau should make this easier.

If Buckley or someone else can cover the slot to let Surtain stay outside there may not be much need to have defenders stay on certain WRs. The players will dictate the scheme as always. I look forward to see how the schemes will change because of Seau's abilities.

Originally posted by Muck
With adjustments such as these in place, there will be no excuses. It will be up to the players to execute.

IMO there were no excuses before, the team which includes coaches haven't achieved to their abilities. Hopefully they do better this year.

 

[Muck]

Originally posted by Merman
IMO there were no excuses before, the team which includes coaches haven't achieved to their abilities. Hopefully they do better this year.

That's pretty much what I said. What I mean is, if the coaches make the necessary adjustments, there will be no confusion on where to place blame when necessary.