Hayden Fox Assessment: Preseason Week 2

[Hayden Fox]

Positives
* The Dolphins starters completely outplayed and dominated the Panthers starters. The Dolphins had 116 yards to the Panthers 8 and 12:34 to 2:26 advantage in time of possession in the first quarter. The starters consistently won on 3rd down as well. The #1 offense was 2-2 in the Red Zone. The starting defense got two 3 and out's and gutsy goal line stand.
* Ryan Tannehill was outstanding. He was 12-15, 102 yards, 1 TD and 117.2 QB Rating. He made big throws on 3rd down to continue to move drives along. RT used his cadence twice to draw the Panthers offsides. He threw a great deep ball to Jordan Cameron that was dropped and could have gone for six.
* Damien Williams beat Thomas Davis on a nice route out of the backfield for a TD. Williams also ran tough inside for a TD.
* Lamar Miller leaking out on a check down for 36 yards.
* LaMike James had a nice night. He had 45 yards on 6 carries and a nice 22 yard kick return. James had a nice run to get the team out of the shadow of their own end zone.
* Overall, the O-line run blocked well.
* Matt Hazel. He finished the drive with a TD catch and had two grabs prior.
* Gerrell Robinson's athletic TD run from a short pass from Josh Freeman.
* Jamar Taylor interception.
* Kelvin Sheppard and Walt Aikens stuffing the run in the goal to go situation.
* An active Reshad Jones.
* Aikens got better as the game went on.
* Tony Lippet PD on 3rd down.
* A.J. Francis had a sack and 2 TFL.
* Emanual Dieke had a sack
* Andrew Franks Touchbacks.
* Both Matt Darr and Brandon Fields had strong nights.
* Christion Jones kick return that set up a TD late in the game.
* I liked seeing Joe go for it again 4th and goal in the preseason setting.

Negatives
* Lost turnover differential 3-1. Miami could have turned it over many more times than 3 tonight.
* Dion Sims fanning on a block that caused a strip/sack of Tannehill.
* Holding call on Jason Fox.
* Williams fumbling out of the end zone.
* Matt Moore. Threw a terrible pick...could have had two others.
* Moore was under duress early and was stripped sacked, but somehow Miami recovered.
* Mike Gillislee not turning around for pass early enough when he was wide open for a TD.
* Freeman's 4th quarter pick.
* Sheppard and Aikens taking bad angles on a long Cameron Artis-Payne's long run.
* Limited pass rush from all defensive units.
* Will Davis. Was picked on early and often. Was called for a PI. Missed a tackle on QB Joe Webb.
* Jordan Phillips and Dieke missed tackles on a TD run.
* Sammy Seamster's obvious PI call.
* Francis' 15 yard penalty to keep an important Panthers drive alive.
* Cedric Thompson's night. Lost in coverage and missed tackles.
* The challenge that backfired on the coaching staff (I would have challenged too just as they did). Very weird play.
* Game Pass. Just terrible technology. Seconds behind published Tweets. Stream stutters now and then which is too much...considering the price. So disappointing.
* Injuries. Jamar Taylor. Jason Fox. Bobby McCain...and those are the ones we know.
* Dion Jordan's body.

Overall Assessment
* I know this sounds obvious, but this team has to win the turnover differential. If they are a big "plus" team this year, they can win big. Being even or in the negatives, there will be much disappointment abound.
* Matt Hazel has potential and if the team is going to keep six receivers, he has to be the guy.
* I would like to see the kickers have to attempt "pressure kicks" whether they would be something on the line in terms of the scoreboard or a kick from long distance.
* I am still not sold on this line. Carolina was playing without 3 out of 4 starters on the D-line. It is great there are signs of progress, but I am not buying that those playing now are the answer. I have one simple reason for thinking this way: I need to do whatever it takes to protect my young QB. Tannehill is growing before our eyes. Why are we chancing his health with these two young guards and a journeyman LT? I would look to sign Anthony Collins or Jake Long to compete with Fox the rest of the summer. From there, I would sign one veteran guard...Evan Mathis or Rob Sims. At that point, I would go with one young guard on the line, with the loser of the competition going to a reserve role. Another question...who is the back up Center? Lots of issues on the line and I do not trust the current situation.
* Mike Tannenbaum has to look at current FA's and possible trades to help with the overall talent and depth on the O-line. The starters are spotty at best and those in reserve roles have been well below average. Perhaps the team can wait for cuts to start next week and Labor Day weekend. With that said, more talented depth is needed.
* Jamar Taylor cannot be counted on. He is injured far too much.
* Michael Thomas will end up playing big snaps for this football team this year. Very intelligent football player that can help in different spots.
* I like how Philbin has handled the playing time and reps of the veterans on this team. They are getting the needed work in to be ready for the season, but they are not getting overworked.
* Big challenge next week in the "dress rehearsal" versus Atlanta for the season ahead. Great offense and a team with a smart defensive head coach. Plus, if somehow Jason Fox is not available, the question should be asked: should Ryan Tannehill play? That question was brought up by Adam Beasley during the game and it is a very interesting one at that.

---------- Post added at 10:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 PM ----------

I apologize for how the script came out. I am not sure why. Pretty hard to read.

 

[Phishpunk@WCU]

Negatives

* Dion Jordan's body.

 

[spiketex]

No love for Caleb Sturgis? He didn't do anything wrong for a change.
I noticed Pouncey come over and warmly congratulate Sturgis after one of the goals. It surprised me before I realized the Gator connection, although I doubt whether Caleb hung out much with Hernandez and the Pouncey boys in the old days.
I still think that it's a pretty even contest for Kicker and both guys seemed to show some distance with the kickoffs tonight.

 

[D0lphan72]

Excellent write up as always, look forward to these after every game Hayden

 

[LANGER72]

Sturgis did what he was paid to do. The 49 yard field goal these days should be hit 75% of the time. He had a good night, leave it at that.
Darr also looked good in the 2nd half. He will get signed by someone.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Despite the early margin, I was more encouraged last week. Tonight there were far too many short passes, and far too many open spaces for Carolina receivers.

Short passes don't get it done. I hate it when they succeed because it creates a false sense of security and dependence. You don't want a short dump off pass to ramble 35 yards in preseason. We did go deep a couple times with Tannehill. Otherwise there were virtually no aggressive midrange throws, which are the staple of a successful passing attack.

As always, I suppose we'll be treated to the idea that Brady succeeds with short passes. And as always, exceptions mean nothing. Keep trying to emulate the Patriots, despite nobody managing it in beyond a decade. Besides, Brady has hardly made a long term living with short passes alone. His YPA was a half yard higher than Tannehill in college, and it's basically the same gap in the NFL, just a tick more.

I'm not discouraged. This team has a chance to be good. But bottom line to be a legit threat we need a 12 for 15 sample to equate to 150 yards from time to time, not barely 100. That's last year and that's not good enough.

* Suh can't be allowed to wander. For whatever reason he wandered left on Artis-Payne's long run, taking himself outside the right shoulder of the right guard. Once he was out of the picture you had Earl Mitchell running one of his patented wheel routes on the other side, looping himself to irrelevancy. Gaping crater. It didn't matter what the second and third line of defense managed the rest of the way. I didn't watch the specifics and don't care. We aren't special in those units. The defensive front has to dictate. Fortunately that play was a rare example, but that's what made it so shocking.

* Most disappointing player tonight was Walt Aikens. Deep, hesitant and late. He was fine at the goal line. Otherwise too often he was flatfooted and failed to demonstrate adequate instincts or angles.

* That replay situation at the goal line was amusing because it was immediately obvious what would happen. I wonder how long it took the Dolphins to figure it out, if they did at all? Rizzi doesn't strike me as overly bright. He was cavorting alongside Philbin, as if Rizzi was the source of the red flag insistence. I'm not sure I want Rizzi anywhere near a vital in-game decision. He's a tunnel vision ranter. Flailer, not a thinker. That's probably not bad for special teams coach, which is mostly kamikaze.

* Running backs in general don't seem to grasp the touchback risk of reaching that ball toward the pile on, when it causes their grip to be tenuous at best. It wasn't as dangerous in the pre-replay era because referees seldom have the guts to make that call unless the separation is early and obvious

* I always love it during the draft when somebody wants to trade for another mid round pick to improve depth. We are improved via Suh. Now we need a few more gems. Freaks. I don't know anything about fantasy football. If there is a fantasy league for third teamers, I suggest not drafting many Dolphins. This may be the greatest gap between starters and third teamers in franchise history. Our bottom of the roster guys don't even look proper for the position. How is #98 on the team? That's not a defensive end. Not with those non existent shoulders. I'm encouraged with the overall opportunity of this team but I expected a semblance of improved down-the-line guys. Right now our later round picks from 2015 are not an interesting lot.

* That opener with the Redskins, that's the wild card game. I don't like Robert Griffin, as I posted prior to that draft. Most misjudged personality ever to enter the draft, at least with a premium pick. Still, that guy has big play ability. Two years ago the opener at Cleveland had very low dispersion level. Weeden simply wasn't going to put up many points. If you played it again and again we would grind them out. This time, at Washington, I could see vastly different results if the two teams met at that site repeatedly. Griffin could hit several deep daggers or none at all.

* It was thrilling to watch a 2-part series with Delmas tonight, at halftime and during the postgame show. For some reason it reminded me of that Dan and Dave promotion for the 1992 Olympics. Who is the world's greatest athlete? NBC ran that obsessively. Then Dan O'Brien no-heighted in the pole vault at the Olympic trials and missed the team. Whoops. Nowadays there's invariably a backup plan. I don't think a major network would have stuck with the canned Delmas pieces but it was fine for local TV.

 

[theOutback]

Nice post as always Hayden. I haven't seen the game yet, how did Douglas do?

 

[Hayden Fox]

Nice post as always Hayden. I haven't seen the game yet, how did Douglas do?

I cannot say a zeroed in on him. I will say...and it does not answer your question...that the second team line allowed a lot of pressure on Moore, but it seemed leaky from the tackles most.

 

[theOutback]

I cannot say a zeroed in on him. I will say...and it does not answer your question...that the second team line allowed a lot of pressure on Moore, but it seemed leaky from the tackles most.

Thanks, how 'bout the two starting guards?

 

[Bob512]

Good job Hayden!

 

[mrbunglez]

Jake Long is a FA? My how the mighty have fallen. Sad, really, he did make 2 pro bowl appearances.

 

[dolpns13]

Sturgis did what he was paid to do. The 49 yard field goal these days should be hit 75% of the time. He had a good night, leave it at that.
Darr also looked good in the 2nd half. He will get signed by someone.

Soooooo, he doesn't deserve props because he did his job but other players do for doing their jobs?

---------- Post added at 07:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 AM ----------

Jake Long is a FA? My how the mighty have fallen. Sad, really, he did make 2 pro bowl appearances.

He made the pro bowl 4x's and was a all pro twice.

The last thing I've wanted back on this team is Long being he is and was one of the most overrated players in recent years, however if Fox is as bad as advertised (I haven't seen any games just what I read here) then sign him up.. Sign any upgrade up. With that being said however, I don't think there's a chance in hell Philbin brings him back being Philbin was the one who jettisoned him in the first place.

 

[Mogwai]

I'm really looking forward to next week and a game where the roster talent can be interpreted much more clearly.

I like Aikens and how he projects moving forward, but Michael Thomas is probably more capable of being an effective starter right now.

Cedric Thompson looks shockingly out of his depth. Low round rooks with talent should be given a lot of leeway, but he's playing like we just drafted him out of high school. Very rough. I'm still a fan of his and we need to stick with him, but players that look THIS out of their depth much more often turn out to be Egnews than anything special.

I'm not happy with Sheppard as a starter. Major liability in the passing game and hasn't shown much better as a run stopper. Vigil with all his inevitable rookie growing pains would be a better starter than Sheppard is now and would be a better mike than Misi by the end of the year too. Vigil is earning that commitment to him.

Increasingly confident about our G situation. Increasingly disturbed by our T depth.

 

[Hayden Fox]

I thought the guards held up well. I just don't think they faced top flight talent. That is why I can't trust them just yet.

 

[spiketex]

All 4 young undrafted LBs have some potential, but Vigil appears to be doing a bit more to be noticed and make the roster. I don't have any great confidence as Kelvin Shepard, but he probably makes the team.