hoops scoops...fins patriots

[hoops]

how much damn fun was that one...wow...my kids are all wearing dolphins gear to school today i don't care if it's too small for them

when's the last time a miami team overcame 3 turnovers in the first half or 3 turnovers period??? when's the last time this team scored 30 plus points in a game and hell we did it week 1...when's the last time we had a double digit lead late and the d could just pin their ears and come after the qb??? cloud 9 today...ok let's get to the evaluation

we'll start with the stars...the 5 star guys

knowshon moreno my goodness what a way to come out for your new home team...vision read his blocking well ran thru contact and with purpose and downhill...that's what i'm talking about...and the attitude he was barking in the backfield i think at his offensive linemen presnap but maybe he was barking at the patriots that i'm gonna eat your damn lunch all day today...cause that's what he did...

bill lazor only took one game but oh yeah i'm a believer...this is one of the bright young minds in football...didnt even really have to hit them with tempo his scheme was so sound and his movement found the mismatches in the defense all over the place...sprinkled in a touch of no huddle which i'm sure we will show as well a plenty this year and i know the tempo will pick up...can you imagine what this offense can do if they do pick up the tempo and not allow personnell substitutions for the defense??? if this team averages less than 24 ppg this year i will eat my shorts

the entire offensive line...what a difference a year makes...true scheme fit players across the board...two stud pass protecting tackles outstanding awareness up front...i can't say enough about that effort yesterday...all of them should take a damn bow...it was a pleasure to watch...only sack given up on a delayed mike lb blitz after the interior offensive linemen had declared...

here's one that's off the radar i bet...jelani jenkins BALLED OUT...came in as an injury sub pretty much and balled out...filled in the run game nicely attacked the los when he should was VERY assignment sound...played damn well in coverage hell he had to cover shane vereen and gronk one on one at times got more help with gronk admittedly but that kid played the game of his life for us...take a bow son...you deserve it

ok let's get to everything else now that we established that...

have to start with the qb...plain and simply tannehill placed balls poorly in the first half and 2 in the second half as well...probably about 7 balls i counted where placement was off...imagine if he cleans that up...anyways ball too far inside on a crossing wallace which resulted in a lost fumble...ball too far inside off pa where he hit wallace on a vertical crosser trent green called him out on correctly should have been out in front...the int i mean has to be thrown to the inside and it's a td that's just not acceptable...the execution has to be better...tried to hit wallace down the seam on an in cut in the red zone where again ball too far inside got it over the lb but ball must be out in front tipped ball lucky revis didnt get it...2nd half timing route for the wallace td i mean most dbs that coverage that's 6 but that's darrell revis and so that ball was contested also...love the confidence to fit it in there but wallace made a hell of a play to cradle it when going to ground...threw a ball high in the flat to miller where had he lead him he could have turned up and maybe gained more yards again a play trent green called him out on...missed clay on a great play design mismatch on 3rd down in the corner of the end zone threw it uncatachable out of bounds...

look this offense scheme is legit it's providing mismatches in personnel and exploiting them the qb must execute...we left points on the board in the first half especially because of the qb play...that said he bounced back nicely in the 2nd half and this is his first year in a new system when he's only played in one system his entire college and first 2 pro years...if this offense stays healthy especially the oline and it doesnt make the postseason and score a ton of points it will be on the qb...i have no doubts of that...cause the oc is gonna put us in position to make plays and score damn points...

i'm gonna be hard on the qb this year...i expect a major leap here...he did a nice job of when he got immediate pressure getting rid of the ball and when he rolled out and had nothing throwing it out of bounds...didn't force things when he didnt need to with this offense you need to live for the next play...i liked that from him...he also showed some solid leadership imo

lamar miller fell forward more and moved the pile a little...2 things he didnt show last year...the acceleration thru the hole was filthy also but he flat quit on an arrow route on 3rd and 4 i think it was in the tight red cause he didnt want to get hit...can't have it...that was bs...and tannehill promptly called him out for it...fumbled also but i dont think his ball security is of much concern...but quitting on a play like that unacceptable...the scheme is doing a good job of getting him one on one with lbs in the pass game and we need his talent there on the field...

dion sims did an outstanding job blocking and not just lbs off the los but he held his own against edge players and even impeded interior guys a few times...i love what i see from that guy in the blocking department...very sound...in line flexed it doesnt matter...you can count on that guy

i don't know what the long term prognosis is on the starting lbs health with misi and ellerbe that hip may be a serious deal but i saw misi get helmeted in the lower leg on the goalline by a cutting patriot olineman and he played one more snap and went off...these both could be big deal injuries...miami tried to get more poa strength vs the run game by installing trusnick in the starting lineup and on early downs...not a bad idea when they are running downhill but in space and to the perimeter of the field it's a weakness to be exploited...

i was surprised the patriots did not focus on the run game more when we went to basically 5 dbs and 2 lbs...i think that was a mistake on their ocs part...

earl mitchell played a very good game...that dudes motor is non stop i dont think i saw one play where he wasn't going all out...moved down the los well showed active hands...yeah i was a big fan of what i saw there...

the 2 starting de's i mean what else do i need to say...they are legit...both of them...olivier vernon is a legitimate top line edge rusher now and his all around game is very sound...

louis delmas played damn well...very assignment sound communicated with his teammates showed very well in man coverage and he's got a nose for the ball that will provide some playmaking...filled nicely in the run game was flying all over the field...

i will say this about gronk...that was not the same player i'm used to seeing athletically...didnt have the burst out of his cuts looked laboring and lumbering at times...

will davis with some sound play as the nickle corner...showed great ball awareness all over the field played sound assignment football didnt try to be a hero...very happy with the effort there...

chris mccain with 2 big time splash plays...the blocked punt where he basically eluded the interior blocker with athletic ease and closed to the ball like a gazelle and more impressive for me beat a quality nfl left tackle rushing as a de for a sack...ok that was an eye opener for me...you beat nate solder i'm impressed and i stand corrected...this kid can rush against quality tackles...engaged solder nicely who i think was caught off guard with how after they engaged he was able to stay on his preferred track and not be knocked off balance and redirect directly to the qb...yep...eye opener

to sum it up i will be damned if this team stays healthy and with this offensive scheme if we aren't a playoff team this year...period...i dont know what the prognosis is at lb and it's a big deal but if we can stay relatively healthy this teams going places in 2014...book it

also buffalos in for a real surprise if they think they are just gonna meet at our qb all game long this coming week...those days are over

 

[HarryBagpipe]

I'm amped. What did you think of finnegan?

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

Excellent post.

Man on that one OV sack where he used a spin move to to redirect inside…WTF. Where has that been?? I legit thought he was Dwight Freeney 2.0 on that play…holy hell. If you haven't keyed that I think everyone needs a good look at that play…absolutely incredible and if he can add that move to his arsenal…yikes.

 

[hoops]

Excellent post.

Man on that one OV sack where he used a spin move to to redirect inside…WTF. Where has that been?? I legit thought he was Dwight Freeney 2.0 on that play…holy hell. If you haven't keyed that I think everyone needs a good look at that play…absolutely incredible and if he can add that move to his arsenal…yikes.

both ov and wake used the spin move on that play...i almost fell out of my chair...it was freaking awesome...beautiful

 

[SkapePhin]

Great win! Unfortunately I couldn't watch it live since I was stuck on a crappy international flight with no wifi or television, but I just watched the replay on NFL Game Rewind.

I gave the team a 30% shot of beating the Patriots on opening day. I was pleasantly surprised to see Moreno's continuation of a solid preseason showing. He plays with a passion, which is essential for an RB. The pass rush was suffocating. Great all around performance from the D. I think they were actually better with the young LBs in there.

I was disappointed in Tannehill's performance, but Lazor's offense continues to shine. I am holding out hope that Tannehill and the offense will continue to mesh and improve.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I was disappointed in Tannehill's performance, but Lazor's offense continues to shine. I am holding out hope that Tannehill and the offense will continue to mesh and improve.

He really looked uncomfortable with the offense in the first half.

I think my two takeaways from the QB in that game were:

1. He bounced back after a bad first half instead of going into a funk for the entire game (and he's done that before).
2. I know he is capable of playing better and making more accurate throws. Because I've seen him do it.

So I'm expecting real, tangible improvement during the season.

 

[So Be]

Great run down, as expected. We put up 30 points with RT and our receivers not playing well. One other little thing was RT throwing the ball away, a good thing, which I have not seen since the Pitt game. The OL playing this well, this soon, is one hell of a job by Benton.

 

[hoops]

people will probably bang tannehill for missing wallace on the double move in the corner of the end zone but trent green called it right wilfork was closing enough where he couldnt set his feet and deliver on it and it was slightly too far outside...had he been able to set his feet and thrown it that far outside yeah i'd have marked that one as a bad play by the qb

this team needs to trust the protection if it keeps up at the level it did yesterday and work more vertical routes and longer developing ones...double moves etc...but they'll want to get some good solid protection tape before they go to too much of it i'd say...

this week though against the bills i would not be working much longer developing stuff other than off pa and max protect type

 

[trojanma]

I am going to give RT a mulligan today for that first half.
This was the classic little brother/big brother game. Opening day at home of a defining season for him and his coach. There is going to be a lot of pent up nerves and energy which showed in the first half.

Under Sherman it was all on RT to carry the team. It will take some time but under Lazor it is going to be a lot easier and as the game went on and he started to relax it got better.

 

[DolfanDuBbZ~]

Seen that offensive line moving people side ways. The new scheme and personnel was a eye opener.

 

[MiamiDolphin618]

people will probably bang tannehill for missing wallace on the double move in the corner of the end zone but trent green called it right wilfork was closing enough where he couldnt set his feet and deliver on it and it was slightly too far outside...had he been able to set his feet and thrown it that far outside yeah i'd have marked that one as a bad play by the qb

Even with the feet, when you make that throw you have to expect you WR to keep his feet in. That ball wasn't thrown a foot outside…it was literally right on the edge of the EZ, maybe even a bit inside it. Wallace has got to show better awareness.
Certainly not a perfect throw, but these WRs get paid too…make some plays for your QB (which Wallace did on that other TD). He did however make a perfect throw to Sims which was dropped…right in the bucket and thats encouraging.

This team has me excited. If we can get some leads on teams, this pass rush can dominate some games this year.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Yeah... Tannehill had some BAD throws in the game, but IMO that one to Wallace on the outside of the end zone wasn't one of them. That was a damn good throw considering he was running for his life and couldn't square up that I could see.

Mike Wallace HAS to get his feet in bounds. He redeemed himself with that great TD catch, but it is what it is.

 

[hoops]

Even with the feet, when you make that throw you have to expect you WR to keep his feet in. That ball wasn't thrown a foot outside…it was literally right on the edge of the EZ, maybe even a bit inside it. Wallace has got to show better awareness.
Certainly not a perfect throw, but these WRs get paid too…make some plays for your QB (which Wallace did on that other TD). He did however make a perfect throw to Sims which was dropped…right in the bucket and thats encouraging.

This team has me excited. If we can get some leads on teams, this pass rush can dominate some games this year.

hmm...i didnt really look at it that way...but i agree wallace needs to show some better awareness...one of those pa balls tannehill threw while getting hit he never even got his hands up on in time...basically a bullet that hit him in the helmet...he's an absolute body catcher...he'd rather jump in the air and catch it with his body than his hands and he doesnt come back to the ball on some things and help his qb...stop routes especially...

interesting take though on the play i will have to look at that...and yeah we get double digit leads and can take the run out of it from others this pass rush is gonna murder people

 

[MRojas4]

I'll eat crow all day.

I was a Moreno doubter, sheesh did he shut me the **** yesterday.

 

[ChambersWI]

Yeah... Tannehill had some BAD throws in the game, but IMO that one to Wallace on the outside of the end zone wasn't one of them. That was a damn good throw considering he was running for his life and couldn't square up that I could see.

Mike Wallace HAS to get his feet in bounds. He redeemed himself with that great TD catch, but it is what it is.

Yeah I thought Wallace absolutely could have gotten that second foot down. Maybe he didn't have enough control but it wasn't overly hard. But that's neither here nor there. But speaking of Wallace, isn't it amazing that he can be a handful just as much in the intermediate game when we actually move him around?

And yeah Earl Mitchell deserves some love, he was constantly penetrating (so were Starks and Odrick) even when we couldn't get to Brady early. And the D-Line doing what they do makes me giddy because it wasn't that long ago when we played the Pats on MNF week 1 where I'd watch us blitz and still get nowhere near Brady (seriously there was a play when Brady had over 10 seconds, nobody could get open and he literally brought the ball down to his waist before throwing it)