Hayden Fox Assessment: Preseason Week 1 | Page 4 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Hayden Fox Assessment: Preseason Week 1

Hayden Fox said:
I watched the game one more time and came to this assessment. Discuss. Happy football season, folks.

Positives

  • I like the tempo the starting offense played with. The goal has always been to quicken the pace. Perhaps now with an experienced QB in this system and more selfless and intelligent players, more uptempo could work.
  • I like how the starting offense overcame a holding penalty to continue the drive.
  • Going for it on 4th and 1. I do not see this as a “it is just preseason” move. I see this as an aggressive tone that Adam Gase wants to set.
  • Great seeing Ryan Tannehill back on the field. It was a strong outing. He is right on pace to where he needs to be. Tannehill looked in command of the huddle and what he was seeing.
  • David Fales. I have been not very comfortable with him as a backup. However, I am warming to him. Fales anticipates well. He gives his receivers a chance and receivers better be where they should be on a given play. Fales plays with confidence.
  • Kalen Ballage showed some promise. Great athlete. I am not worried about the fumble so as long as he learns from it. He runs a bit upright, but he is a plus athlete. His blitz pickups were on target. Good start.
  • Senorise Perry can play. He should stick as a 4th RB. He is one cut, hard runner. He excels on special teams. Lots to like and someone they should keep in house.
  • Albert Wilson is going to a confident explosive weapon. He got nice separation and was available for his QB.
  • Jakeem Grant got open deep...again. He almost had two explosive plays. One he drew a PI (plus I think he caught it). Another he got behind Carlton Davis, but the throw as a bit behind him.
  • Isaiah Ford has a “slinkiness” to him. He seems to have a feel and body type to excel as a receiver in the NFL. The hope here is he remains healthy and pushes for more snaps.
  • Not sure Francis Owusu fits in, but all the guy does is make explosive plays during the back half of preseason games.
  • The pass protection by the 1’s was outstanding. This is going to be a good team in pass pro. Tampa has some decent pass rush candidates. They did not get near Tannehill.
  • Bryce Petty. Perhaps Petty should be in competition with Fales. Petty got scraps in this game, but deserves more looks. The two point conversion to Ford was a thing of beauty.
  • Minkah Fitzpatrick looks like he belonged. He was active with no false steps. He is part of the solution going forward.
  • Jerome Baker simply jumped off the page. He was fast, active and his instincts were outstanding. Baker needs more run with the starters starting this week.
  • Chase Allen FF.
  • Vincent Taylor has been balling lately. He was a freight train at the end of the half. More snaps are needed for Taylor.
  • DE Jonathan Woodard played well
  • Cleaner game in terms of pre-snap penalties. Plus, the team did well not getting crown of the helmet penalties that everyone was worried about.
  • Tom Garfinkel is one of the best things happening for this franchise. He is a visionary and creative man while at the same time being able to articulate what he is thinking. Thumbs up for Garfinkel.
  • New threads looked nice. Got to be honest. I like the shirts and bolder orange.

Negatives

  • Early in the game the team lost with hidden yards and field position. Between the missed field goal and turnover, the Bucs were put on short fields and were great position to score.
  • Ja’Wuan James holding penalty. Could have killed a promising opening drive.
  • Lack of Red Zone production.
  • Delay of game immediately after getting a turnover.
  • Overall pass defense with the first team defense. All easy windows. Way too soft underneath. No pass rush on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Terrible start.
  • Run defense. DT’s got washed out and there were too many wide open lanes.
  • Davon Godchaux looked heavy and uninspired.
  • Stephone Anthony took numerous poor angles to the ball and was awful versus the pass.
  • Jason Sanders miss from 52. He has to make these kicks in the preseason with ease if he is to be the kicker on September 9th. He missed and flipped field position after a nice albeit stalled opening drive. I was also not enamored with his leg on kickoffs. I expected those to be drilled into the stands for a touchback.
  • Greg Joseph made his FG, but the botched kickoff out of bounds was an awful look.
  • Mo Smith head hunting foul. So obvious.
  • Trae Elston celebrating a stick after the runner went about ten yards and got a first down. Time and score, Trae.
  • CB Cornell Armstrong was used up.
  • The mix of 3rd and 4th team defense that blew the lead after the Petty TD and 2 point make. Very lame response in what should have been a shutdown moment.
  • I have the quickest finger to hit the mute button when Omar Kelly comes on the pregame. Terrible each year. Yet he comes back for that failing newspaper.

Overall

  • So much for the camp updates that the defense was ahead of the offense.
  • The team has to cut out drive killing penalties. The team overcame James’ penalty. However, the team has to stay ahead of the sticks. It was one of the biggest issues last year. It is too hard on any offense. This offense can be pretty good with elite discipline.
  • Folks, what does the team have with DeVante Parker? He has had a sleepy spring and summer. He was a non-factor Thursday. I have said since predraft that he cannot separate. If he is not going to “rooftop” corners consistently on 50-50 balls, it means he is holding the offense back.
  • That said, I like the receiving group. Kenny Stills, Danny Amendola, Wilson, Grant and Ford all can get open and separate (see that word again). They are fast albeit small. They are intelligent and tough kids with no diva amongst them. Add in Mike Gesicki for some height and I think this can be a matchup nightmare each week for opposing teams.
  • I am starting to question Matt Burke’s ability to coordinate a defense. It is not based on one game in the preseason. It is based that his defense gets attacked the same way each week.
  • Time to think about Bobby McCain on the boundary in base sets. Torry McTyer and Cordrea Tankersley are not nearly consistent enough in their assignments. The team needs a player that will execute their assignments.
  • The DT’s need more watching. There needs to be more run stop ability demonstrated. Snaps need to be awarded to those players that represent that. DT could be the void that guard was years ago for this team. That would be ashame.
  • I want more Jerome Baker.
  • The team has to implement a 3 safety look. It will be maddening if McDonald or Fitzpatrick are on the sideline consistently. Time for the team to figure a way to get its best athletes on the field for defense.
  • The team needs to find a kicker on the free agent or waiver wire Labor Day weekend. Sanders nor Joseph has the goods.
  • Dare I say, I liked the new ref and his crew the other night. Time for some new blood. Shawn Smith’s crew was excellent.
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I watched the game this morning on cable. Thought it was on at 6:00 AM, but it turned out to be on at 6:30AM. I did get to see the end of the Chicago vs. Bengals preseason game. It was interesting because I saw our old kicker Parkey shank what would have been a 50+ yard game winning field goal. With that perspective I then got to see the Dolphins play. We don't have any worse kicking with our new kickers than our old kicker is having.
 
In regards to your Parker comment, I really agree. He's just not a route runner and guy who can separate at this level. He doesn't do the little things well. In the past he showed an ability to highpoint the ball well. He seems better at making the long catches than the short ones. There were games like against NE a few years ago where he abused the secondary so bad they just started tackling him on deep throws and taking the PI rather than the completion for more yards. But he hasn't had the consistency and the health has caused him to lack the confidence to be the guy to outfight the defense. I don't think I'll ever be happy seeing this team jettison Ajayi and Landry over the last year while Parker is still on the roster, but hopefully Gesicki and Drake will more than makeup for that.
 
outlawd2u said:
I hear you and I dont fully disagree, but if you do this then all of the problems we've had at safety for Years still continues. I dont think our problem in the secondary was the boundaries so much as it was defending anything over the middle of the field and that doesnt change much with this personell group if Minkah is playing anywhere other than FS.
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I completely agree. While I have no doubt that Fitzpatrick would be effective at nickel … he can be so much more impactful as a free safety. Nice to have such a chess piece on defense though!
 
I agree with the Garfinkel comment. He is a significant cut above the caliber of front office types this franchise has hired for at least 20+ years. Just a darn shame he wasn't in charge when the uniforms were redesigned, instead of that overmatched clod Mike Dee.

Garfinkel is now forced to slowly correct Dee's mistakes, but obviously it can't be done all at once or be a complete fix. It's like the ounce of prevention/pound of cure type of thing.

Garfinkel did a good job describing the parking situation during the third quarter interview. I learned a few things and am no longer as concerned. Garfinkel always offers sufficient detail without coming across as a snob or someone who doesn't believe he has to answer the question. In other words, Nick Saban would never hire him.

The announcing crew handled that interview very well, BTW. To the point. I still don't understand why they receive so much grief around here. That interview contained superior information than any of the print reporters or local sportscasts have provided on the parking matter.

***

I didn't understand the kickoff game from either team. I guess they were experimenting with coverage and returns because the ball seldom was boomed out of play. But if you are going to do it that way, then legitimately experiment...with squibbers and pooches and all type of variety.

Maybe I wanted to be entertained and the teams wanted to prevent injuries.

I'm confident by the end of preseason I'll know which kicker has the superior swing and timing. Just show the darn kicks from behind the line of scrimmage.
 
Hayden Fox said:
I watched the game one more time and came to this assessment. Discuss. Happy football season, folks.


  • I am starting to question Matt Burke’s ability to coordinate a defense. It is not based on one game in the preseason. It is based that his defense gets attacked the same way each week.
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You think? I said this all last year. Why we brought in a guy that was the right hand man of the former failed DC and is a proponent of the same scheme just boggles the mind. But alas, we are stuck with him for the foreseeable future so I hope he does not destroy our season.
 
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Digital said:
I completely agree. While I have no doubt that Fitzpatrick would be effective at nickel … he can be so much more impactful as a free safety. Nice to have such a chess piece on defense though!
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Yea, I mean the thought of turning an elite level caliber FS into a slot cb is really pretty ridiculous. I like the fact that we can use Fitz in many different roles, and keep offenses guessing, but I have to admit it's going to make me nervous everytime I see him come up towards the LOS to play the slot, or blitz etc. And we have someone like Jones or McDonald expected to defend the deep middle.
 
Bonus is next year DL will be as deep as I can ever remember.

Bosa, Lawrence, Wilkins, Ferrel, Bryant, Oliver. I know I’m missing a bunch.

Personally I want Lawrence because he occupies 2 blockers all the time. Dude is probably the best interior lineman in college right now, no homer needed for that one.
 
The play James got flagged for holding on, he wasn't the only one guilty there. I think it was Davis who was also grabbing on that play.
 
dead on about everything. I think you hit on a serious key NO ONE is mentioning... Matt Burke's ability to be an effective defensive playcaller... or lack thereof.
 
I am still not worried about the Kickers, Sanders showed an amazing strong leg. He Is just a Rookie and he could turn into a good one. Harris in his second year can also improve a lot. Now, Parker Is a different story, to be honest I would keep Ford and Owusu over him, he has not been anything special. Tannehill missed an open Amendola with a great OL protection. No More excuses. I am not saying that Petty Is the answer but that throw he Made on the two point conversion to Ford was perfect, never saw Tannehill doing that on his five years, and no coach has managed to implement the up tempo with him at QB, Gase might be the last one to fail. I really wish I am wrong on this because with an average QB Is almost impossible to go far.
 
DKphin said:
You think? I said this all last year. Why we brought in a guy that was the right hand man of the former failed DC and is a proponent of the same scheme just boggles the mind. But alas, we are stuck with him for the foreseeable future so I hope he does not destroy our season.
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illscriptures said:
dead on about everything. I think you hit on a serious key NO ONE is mentioning... Matt Burke's ability to be an effective defensive playcaller... or lack thereof.
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I mean, he is the only DC to ever stop Bellichick for converting a 3rd down for an entire game (0/11). Something that hasn't happened to the Patriots in 25 years.


But yeah, the guy probably has zero redeeming qualities. :rolleyes:


Guys it's preseason. Coaches put players in bad situations of purpose, just to see how they do. They play vanilla D with no adjustments, or even the wrong adjustments. Because it doesn't mean ****.
 
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GUH-sick-EE said:
I mean, he is the only DC to ever stop Bellichick for converting a 3rd down for an entire game (0/11). Something that hasn't happened to the Patriots in 25 years.


But yeah, the guy probably has zero redeeming qualities. :rolleyes:
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Keep dreaming that the D will improve:rolleyes:
 
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