Here's how we can still go 11-5

[Big Red 1972]

New format for the thread this week. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not predicting an 11-5 finish. I'm just pointing out that's the best we can still do mathematically and examining what we would need to do to achieve it.

1. Eliminate the big play. This continues to be a problem for us. Its not just the talent on the field. The coaches are equally to blame. They have to dial up the blitz and take some chances. Can't play it safe all the time. We have to play to win instead of playing not to lose.

Week 10. The Bucs at home. Big play problem: Kellen Winslow. Hopefully their rookie QB will make too many mistakes against our defense which should be majorly pissed off.

Week 11. At Carolina. Big play problem: Steve Smith. He has struggled this season so that's in our favor.

Week 12. At Buffalo. Big play problem: T.O. He has struggled this season so that's in our favor.

Week 13. The Pats at home. Big play problem: Randy Moss. I believe we will learn from our mistakes in the game against the Pats and handle Randy Moss in Week 13.

Week 14. At Jacksonville. Big play problem: Mike Sims-Walker. Who? I'm not afraid of him.

Week 15. At Tennessee. Big play problem: Chris Johnson. Okay I'm afraid of him. However the Titans have been awful this year. Give CJ two or three big plays and I still like our chances to win.

Week 16. The Texans at home. Big play problem: Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton. Can we finally beat these guys please?! Owen Daniels is out for the season so that's in our favor.

Week 17. The Steelers at home. Big play problem: Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Mike Wallace. Ouch. That's a lot of weapons. Not to mention Heath Miller. I don't know how we're going to win this game. Of course if you told me that we would win the time of possession battle and the turnover battle against the Pats but we would still lose I would have said you're crazy.

Our run defense is stout so don't worry about Cadillac Willilams, DeAngelo Williams, Marshawn Lynch, Lawrence Maroney, Maurice Jones-Drew, or Rashard Mendenhall. However the the way Chris Johnson and Steve Slaton catch the ball out of the backfield we will need to watch out for them.

2. Eliminate the turnovers.

Week 10. The Bucs at home. I know Aaron Rodgers just threw three interceptions against them but I'm not afraid of the Bucs defense. Give their defense an INT or two and I still like our chances.

Week 11. At Carolina. Watch out for Julius Peppers. He's playing with a lot of anger.

Week 12. At Buffalo. Somebody tell Henne to watch out for Jairus Byrd and we'll be fine.

Week 13. The Pats at home. We didn't turn it over in Foxboro. Well one INT but it was negated by a penalty. Reminder to the Pats. You're not allowed to cheat. Oh yeah Haynos fumbled but it went out of bounds. Way to use the sideline buddy! :up:

Week 14. At Jacksonville. Not afraid of the Jags defense. Don't foresee any turnovers here.

Week 15. At Tennessee. Watch out for the Titans defense. They still have a lot of talented players. A lot of talented players who haven't been getting it done this year but still.

Week 16. The Texans at home. Sneaky defense. Williams, Ryans, Robinson, and Cushing are very good.

Week 17. The Steelers at home. I'm forseeing a problem with turnovers here. I'm liking a game plan involving a heavy dose of Ronnie and Ricky.

Really we have been beating ourselves by turning it over. There haven't been too many where the other team has caused the turnover. We need to keep working on the fundamentals. Catch the ball. Secure the ball. Field punts and kicks cleanly.

3. Get Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams more involved in the pass game. They are dangerous men in the opponent's secondary. Ask any DB in the league if they would rather tackle Ronnie Brown or Ted Ginn and I think you know what their answer would be. Passing the ball to Ronnie and Ricky will put them in more situations where they can do serious damage. Our receiving corps is not exactly on par with the Colts, Cardinals, or Saints. That's not going to change before season's end.

Actually just get Ronnie and Ricky the ball any way you can. Usually good things happen when we do. That touchdown drive in the second quarter was a beautiful thing. Why didn't we keep doing that all game?

4. Speaking of Ted Ginn I said it before and I'll say it again. He should be returning every kick and every punt. That will increase his odds of taking it to the house quite a bit. Josh Cribbs has 49 returns so far this season. Darren Sproles has 41. Eddie Royal has 29. Percy Harvin has 28. Before today's game Ginn had 8. He is now tied with Cribbs, Royal, Crayton, and Harvin for most TDs and his 34.9 average leads the league. He is a weapon! Maybe now we will finally use him correctly.

Can anybody explain to me why Davone Bess is still returning punts?

5. Throw the ball deep. Henne has a rocket for an arm. Let's play to his strengths. One failed attempt to Hartline in the 1st quarter is not going to cut it most weeks.

Week 10. The Bucs at home. Scary secondary. I'd still let Henne air it out in the first half just to see how he does. If it doesn't work then just pound them with Ronnie and Ricky in the second half and we'll still win.

Week 11. At Carolina. Contain Julius Peppers. Give Henne time to throw.

Week 12. At Buffalo. McKelvin is out for the year.

Week 13. The Pats at home. I can understand being careful in Foxboro. However we should go after those cornerbacks at home. Shawn Springs is old and Leigh Bodden is... well... Leigh Bodden.

Week 14. At Jacksonville. One of the worst pass defenses in the league. Air it out Sparano!

Week 15. At Tennessee. Worst pass defense in the league.

Week 16. The Texans at home. Tremendous front seven. Mediocre secondary.

Week 17. The Steelers at home. Without Polamalu that secondary was suspect.

Let Henne wear the big boy pants. We're on the verge of having nothing to lose.

6. There's been a bit of talk about how the Dolphins need to finish games. That's not completely true. Our offense is fine. Its the defense that needs to finish games. Couldn't do it against the Colts. Couldn't do it against the Saints. They finally did it against the Jets and now we're 3-4. If our defense can continue to find ways to win we are playoff bound.

The defense came up short once again against New England but people forget we didn't have our starting inside linebacker or our starting nose tackle and we were in that game.

 

[hilo558]

It's definitely doable, I like this.

 

[sharp]

You say not worry about MJD or DeAngelo williams or Jon Stewart which I believe are every bit if not more the player that chris johnson is. You always have to worry about any elite RB. Hopefully Ferg comes back because we were making Maroney look like a starter.

 

[SuperMarksBros.]

ok, i like the optimism, but we probably arent going to win out.

 

[Lorenzo Rules]

I think we better beat Tampa and Tenn, if we cant beat those teams then we are worse then we all thought.

Carolina , Tampa, Buffalo are games we better win and Tenn is a game i think we can win but it isnt a given. in fact Tenn , pitt, and the pats will be the toughest.

if we dont beat at least one of these teams Tenn, Pitt, Pats and Carolina then it will be a disapoinment.
hell I would be estatic if we beat all of these teams but I would be devasted if we lost to all of these teams.

 

[miamiron]

you forgot our playoff and superbowl victories

 

[Big Red 1972]

you forgot our playoff and superbowl victories

 

[Bta72dolphins]

New format for the thread this week. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not predicting an 11-5 finish. I'm just pointing out that's the best we can still do mathematically and examining what we would need to do to achieve it.

This was a good thread and i tell you what if we go 11-5 i will buy you something dolphins no joke if we dont oh well i said 8-8 before the season start and that is what i am sticking with.

 

[chris66]

11-5 is not going to make the playoffs again this year. too much disparity between the good teams and the really bad teams. its possible to see the 6 playoff teams. 1 team at 15-1, 2 teams at 14-2. 2 teams at 13-3 and the last at 12-4. it also possible where there could be 3 teams at 14-2 and 3 teams at 13-3.

 

[DolfanDuBbZ~]

I was a 8-8/9-7 predictor before the season. And I'm sticking to that prediction.

Fact is in the league you can't chalk up any game as a victory. You would think seeing Philly lose to OAK would show that to everyone, or more recently the TB/GB game. This past weekend CAR fell short of beating a impressive NO team....

Don't chalk up nothing. Don't take anyone for granted on any SUNDAY.

 

[FinNutZ]

The Pats at home. We didn't turn it over in Foxboro. Well one INT but it was negated by a penalty. Reminder to the Pats. You're not allowed to cheat. Oh yeah Haynos fumbled but it went out of bounds. Way to use the sideline buddy!

That was more like a MMA move on the ball, Haynos was like "oh **** this guys is going to punch me, wait a minute where's the ball"

 

[TotalRecall]

Mike sims-walker the wr that is 4x better than any the phins currently have and future hof torry holt

 

[PhinPhan910]

11-5 is not going to make the playoffs again this year. too much disparity between the good teams and the really bad teams. its possible to see the 6 playoff teams. 1 team at 15-1, 2 teams at 14-2. 2 teams at 13-3 and the last at 12-4. it also possible where there could be 3 teams at 14-2 and 3 teams at 13-3.

First of all, we never said playoffs.
Can you remind of a time that happened?

 

[joenhre]

11-5 is not going to make the playoffs again this year. too much disparity between the good teams and the really bad teams. its possible to see the 6 playoff teams. 1 team at 15-1, 2 teams at 14-2. 2 teams at 13-3 and the last at 12-4. it also possible where there could be 3 teams at 14-2 and 3 teams at 13-3.

11-5 , Could very well win the Division, so how would it not be good enough to make the Playoffs? I could easily see the Patriots losing at least 3 more games this year. The toughest part of their schedule is coming up.
Patriots fans are really overlooking the Saints, Colts, Dolphins, Jets, Texans & Bills? Not saying the Dolphins will win out, but I do not see the Patriots winning more than 11 games this year.

 

[Phinfan31]

bottomline....it all depends on the patriots. I see them losing a game....MAYBE 2 before they play us again! things coudl get real interesting if the pats lose games. We could win the division with 10-6!